


Merry Christmas, Baby

by prodigalpoet



Series: Soulmates [4]
Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: 90s Rom Coms Were Supreme, Billie Can Detect Disguises Too, Boston Red Sox, Bryce Vine, Christmas in Connecticut, Come On Get Higher, Dark Eve Rising, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Eve And Villanelle Watch Killing Eve On The Plane, Eve Has A Fanny Pack Which Villanelle Teases Her About But Secretly Loves, Eve's Mother And Villanelle Are BFFs, F/F, Family Fluff, Family time, Fenway Park, Festive Lingerie, French Toast Is The Best Breakfast Food, Hairpin Versus Frying Pan, Heath Ledger Fan Club, Holiday Traditions, Hotel Sex, Ice Skating, Jealous Eve, Lady And The Tramp Reenactment, Matching Holiday Pajamas, Matt Nathanson, Nostalgia, Nothing's gonna hurt you baby, Our Girls Are Horny And On A Flight, Pancakes, Red Bus Onesie, Send Noods, Sex, So Is Villanelle, Someone In Connecticut Loves Me Bib, The Cure, Villanelle Gives The Best Gifts, Villanelle Has A Holiday Playlist, Villanelle is a conservationist, Villanelle loves Eve's mother's hair, Villaneve, Villaneve Versus Home Intruder, billie is a good baby who sleeps while her very horny parents are having sex, christmas in july, cigarettes after sex, college Reunion, eve is a tease, family traditions, horny villanelle, just like heaven, save water shower together, send nudes, ten things i hate about you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:35:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 37,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25042510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prodigalpoet/pseuds/prodigalpoet
Summary: Eve, Villanelle, and Billie visit Connecticut to spend Christmas with Eve's mother.
Relationships: Eve Polastri/Villanelle | Oksana Astankova
Series: Soulmates [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1793398
Comments: 109
Kudos: 326





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Christmas in July!
> 
> Leave a comment or kudos if you enjoy this piece.
> 
> The song Villanelle sings to Eve after they have sex is Matt Nathanson's "Come On, Get Higher." You can find a lyric video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY50ZptRC5g

**  
Christmas Eve. Eve and Villanelle arrive at Eve’s childhood home in Connecticut to spend Christmas with Eve’s mother and other relatives. It is snowing heavily and twinkling lights adorn porch rails and front doors, making the neighborhood feel like a greeting card Villanelle has only seen in stores. 

Villanelle grabs two suitcases from the car and Billie’s diaper bag as Eve knocks on the front door with four month old Billie cooing against her chest in the snug and stylish Ergobaby carrier that Villanelle purchased for her first trip.

“My girls!” Omma cries out, squealing with glee. Her black hair is pulled back in a neat bun and her petite frame is hidden beneath a red and white striped apron speckled with flour. 

“What are you baking, omma? It smells amazing in here.” Eve and Villanelle remove their shoes as Eve’s mother hovers around Billie, eagerly waiting for Eve to remove her from the carrier so she can hold her.

“Oh you know. Just a few dozen cookies. Both of you look like you can afford to gain some weight. I’m sure this little one has been keeping you very busy and hungry, from the looks of it. Come here, Oksana. Let me give my favorite daughter-in-law a kiss before I take her baby and spoil her silly.” 

Villanelle grins and sets the suitcases towards the base of the stairs so she can move them to Eve’s childhood bedroom later. Leaning down so she can hug Omma, Villanelle catches Eve’s smile and winks. “Thank you for making them happy,” Omma whispers and Villanelle can feel her heart expanding with joy. 

“Now go sit down. I’m going to take Billie for a tour of the house and then we’re going to have something to eat.” Omma takes Billie from Eve and gestures for her and Villanelle to wait in the living room where the fireplace is already going. 

“Wow. Omma doesn’t even care about us, she only wants to hang out with Billie,” Eve chuckles, walking to the kitchen to make some cocoa.

“Do you blame her? She’s the cutest baby I’ve ever seen.”

“I agree. We made a beautiful kid, didn’t we?”

“I knew we would.”

“What?”

“On our wedding night I was thinking about our future and I thought about how cute our child would be if we ever decided to have one.”

“Seriously? That’s what you were thinking about? I mean, that’s really adorable that you were thinking that but when did you have the time?” Eve’s skin flushes as the memory of their almost sleepless wedding night floods her mind. Villanelle smirks and watches Eve pour the cocoa mixture into a pot of almond milk boiling on the stove. 

“After you had fallen asleep, around three am.”

“Really?” Eve stirs the cocoa and the milk and pours the cocoa into two mugs before taking both to the coffee table in front of the sofa.

“Yes. I thought about a little you and a little me running around and how I wouldn’t be afraid of becoming a parent because you would be the other one.”

“Wow, V. Were you ever going to share this with me if we didn’t end up having kids?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. It would have been okay if you didn’t want any but I’m really glad you did.” 

“I’m glad you did because there’s nothing sexier than seeing you with ours.” Eve leans towards Villanelle and the two fall back on the sofa. Villanelle moans softly beneath Eve’s kisses and her hands slip beneath her white cable knit sweater to cup her breasts. Eve inhales and arches her back so that her hipbones grind against Villanelle’s. Villanelle kisses Eve on the neck and is about to remove her sweater when the sound of Omma walking down the stairs stops her in her tracks. Villanelle moves so fast off the couch that Eve is completely thrown off balance and hits the floor with a thud. When Omma walks into the living room, baby monitor in hand, she sees Villanelle standing up and drowning her face in a mug while Eve is on the floor scowling and rubbing her tailbone. 

“I put Billie down for a nap. You know, I’m glad her arrival hasn’t interrupted your sex life,” Omma casually states and Villanelle almost chokes on her cocoa as Eve’s laughter rises from the floor. Villanelle hurriedly sets the cup down on the table and throws her arm out for Eve to grab, mouthing “I’m so sorry.” “I’m going to get you back for throwing me on the floor later,” Eve whispers, pretending to be upset. She pecks Villanelle on the cheek and huffs her way into the kitchen.

“Omma, please don’t talk about that ever again.”

“Why not? It’s perfectly natural to want to be intimate with each other. I would be worried if you weren’t. Right, Oksana?” 

Eve blushes and Villanelle does her best to nod solemnly instead of winking at her wife’s mother and making a joke. She has to maintain some decency after all, as the only and best daughter-in-law.

“Omma, please!!!” Eve squeals, hiding her face behind her hands.

“If you don’t want me to discuss it, maybe wear a turtleneck next time.” Eve shrieks and runs to the mirror in the hallway where she spots a sizable hickey on her neck. Villanelle spits out her cocoa, not able to hold anything in this time, and she and Omma laugh together over a plate of chocolate chip and sugar cookies when Eve returns to the kitchen.

“Very funny. You two are as thick as thieves.” Eve narrows her eyes and grabs a cookie.

“Don’t be jealous,” Villanelle whispers, narrowing her own eyes and winking.

“Come here and help me put up the rest of the ornaments on the tree.”

Eve and Villanelle walk into the living room and Eve starts handing Villanelle ornaments to place at the top of the tree. “This one is cute. When was this one made?” Villanelle is holding a clay photo frame with a photo of young Eve in it. 

“That was when Eve was eight.”

“So you’re telling me she had nice hair her whole life?” Villanelle raises her eyebrows at Eve.

“Yes. She inherited the good hair genes from me.” Omma shakes her hair out of its ponytail and Villanelle nods appreciatively, stepping back and mouthing “Wow” to Eve who glances back with an unreadable expression. Villanelle laughs when her phone pings with a text message from Eve: Please stop staring at my mother like you want to make out with her. Villanelle texts back: You thought of it, not me. Eve: I recognize that look in your eyes! That’s OMMA!! Ew!

Omma clears her throat and Villanelle throws her phone behind her so that it lands on the couch. Eve smacks her playfully on the leg and continues to hand her ornaments as Omma flitters around the tree and converses with Villanelle about the Korean songs she used to sing to Eve when she was little. As Villanelle hums a tune back to Omma, Eve can’t help but feel like she will be hearing Villanelle sing the same to Billie back at home. The thought makes her skin tingle with gratitude and she reaches behind her to sip the rest of her cocoa. She scoots back until her body hits the couch and she finishes her drink before getting on the couch and lying down. She sighs contentedly at the sight of her wife and mother decorating the tree and falls asleep to the lull of their voices.

When Eve wakes up two hours later, Villanelle is holding Billie against her chest and sitting at the kitchen counter while Omma is plating up dishes of mashed potatoes, green beans, and fried chicken, a Park family Christmas Eve staple.

“Hey baby. You’re not going to wake up Mom Number One now that she’s catching up on sleep, are you?” Villanelle croons, kissing the part of Billie’s forehead not covered by her thick yet soft dark hair. Billie is wearing a white onesie dotted with red double decker buses and has a red bow in her hair. Eve smiles at the sight of the onesie, remembering how she teased Villanelle about it after it arrived on their doorstep. “Whattt? I had to purchase it. To remind Mom Number One about the first time she kissed me, right, Billie?” “Headbutted you,” Eve corrected. “Hmm. More like seduced me on public transportation.” “Attacked you so you wouldn’t shoot me.” “That was one time.” “Memorable enough for you to want more.” “Shut up and kiss me.” “Kiss or headbutt?” “Stab or shoot?” “You win.” “I always do. You married me after all.” “Oh god. So smug.” “Stop talking.” “Okay.”

“It’s okay, I’m awake.” Eve bends down and kisses Billie, inhaling how fresh and clean she smells. “Did you give her a bath, babe?” “I had to. She smelled when she woke up from her nap,” Villanelle pouts, as if her nose has been assaulted with the smell yet again. “Did she poop?” “Ha! Ha ha!” Villanelle’s booming laughter, so reminiscent of Konstantin’s, shocks Eve into turning around from the kitchen sink and looking at her wife worriedly. “Didn’t she! I had to open the bedroom window just to air it out after removing her diaper. It’s like nuclear warfare. Then I decided I needed to do us both a favor and give her a bath. We had fun, didn’t we, baby?” Villanelle lifts Billie up to blow a raspberry against her belly and the girl laughs, spit running down her chin and falling on top of Villanelle’s head. 

After dinner, Omma reads to Billie until she falls asleep and then puts her down in Eve’s crib that she has stationed in her bedroom. “I want her to be with me. I don’t see her enough. I haven’t seen her since October. Don’t worry, I’ll wake up if she does,” she tells Eve when Eve tries to protest, mentioning that she needs to rest too. “I’ll rest when I’m dead,” Omma laughs. She kisses Eve and Villanelle goodnight before returning upstairs and closing her bedroom door.

“Did you hear her? She just said she will rest when she is dead. I don’t think I’ve seen her this happy since our engagement party.”

“She wasn’t happy when you married moustache?”

“No.”

Villanelle’s body thrums with joy and she seems pleased with herself that she has made such a good impression on Eve’s mother. 

“She does have great hair…” Villanelle’s voice trails off as Eve gets up from her position next to her on the couch and straddles her. Leaning forward she says “I know I’m supposed to feel deeply uncomfortable over the fact you think my mother is hot but for some reason it’s turning me on. I love how much you respect and love her.”

“Of course I do. She gave me you.” Villanelle kisses Eve and then moves her face so that her lips are hovering next to Eve’s ear: “I want to take you to your childhood bedroom now. Is that okay?” Villanelle’s habit of always asking Eve for her consent makes Eve feel even more turned on and it takes all of her strength just to mumble yes and not want to stay on the couch.

Villanelle stands up, ignoring Eve’s surprised yelp as she slips her arms beneath her butt and clasps her hands together, easily carrying Eve upstairs and into the bedroom at the end of the hallway. Thankfully, Omma’s bedroom is at the opposite end of the hall, Eve thinks as Villanelle closes the bedroom door behind her and locks it. Their mouths find each other and their hands move quickly to remove articles of clothing from skin. Eve falls back onto her bed naked and shivers as the moonlight cradles Villanelle’s curves and already tousled hair. She watches her bend down to pull off her olive green pants and festive red lacy underwear, kicking both aside. “Where was I?” Villanelle asks, crawling up the bed and kissing Eve’s legs before sliding up her body until her head is below Eve’s navel and Eve’s legs are resting on her back. “Are you ready?” Villanelle asks, her eyes hungrily lapping up Eve’s full breasts and perky nipples. Eve nods and bites down on her hand to muffle the moan that slips from her mouth as Villanelle bends down and licks the length of her mound. Villanelle feels Eve’s entire body shake in anticipation as she runs her thumb around Eve’s clit and slides two fingers between her wet folds before pulling them up and licking them, maintaining eye contact with Eve. Eve’s eyes are heavy-lidded and she throws her head back against the pillow, her hands frantically trying to hold onto the sheets as Villanelle dips down and enters her with her tongue. “OhmyGod!” Eve exclaims, never ready for the powerful sensation her wife’s tongue has on her body. As she flicks her tongue in and out of her, Villanelle reaches down and touches herself, her movements speeding up as she brings Eve to the brink. She pushes down on her own clit and curls her tongue one more time before pulling it out and circling Eve’s clit. Eve comes once and then twice, the muscles in her legs tensing above Villanelle’s shoulder blades and Villanelle comes undone. 

“Are you okay?” Villanelle whispers and falls onto the bed next to Eve who is still shuddering. Villanelle sings one of Eve's favorite songs as she patiently waits for Eve to come down: "I miss the sound of your voice. The loudest thing in my head. And I ache to remember all the violent, sweet, perfect words that you said." She stops singing and kisses Eve softly, running her hand down her body until it reaches the base of her back. She kisses Eve’s neck and Eve pulls back to kiss her on the lips. “I can taste myself on your mouth.” “I know you can.” “You’re so goddamn sexy.” “I know I am.” Eve laughs into Villanelle’s grin and she leans back, stroking Villanelle’s damp hair. “I’ll never get tired of being your wife.” “Where is that coming from?” Villanelle asks, watching Eve stare unabashedly at her heaving chest glinting with sweat. “I’ve never felt this wanted before or this loved. Seeing you with Omma and seeing you with our baby just seems so right to me. If you went back in time and asked younger me what my vision of happiness was, I would never have imagined this. But now that I have it, I can’t imagine anything else.” “You don’t miss the life you had before?” “No. Do you?” “No.” “Do you miss chasing me?” “Hmm…I think I’ll always enjoy that.” Villanelle smiles and slides her eyes to the side, her cheeks slightly puffed as if she is chewing on their insides. “Seriously. Do you miss the thrill of the chase?” “No, I don’t. I never felt like I belonged anywhere until I met you.” “You didn’t feel that way with Anna?” “Definitely not.” “Really?” “Really. You saw me. You still see me.” “I've told you before how much I really enjoy the view.” Eve giggles and her heart feels so light as her eyes scan the walls of her childhood bedroom. Even though she’s sweaty and stuck between the wall and her long legged and very handsy wife who is almost too tall for the bed, she feels good. “Hey, where are you?” Villanelle mumbles, her eyes pulling Eve’s back in from the glow-in-the-dark stars her dad placed on her ceiling when she was in the Sixth Grade. “I was just thinking about how us together is the best present I could ever ask for, Christmas, birthday, whatever.” “Yeah? You mean you the pink teddy bear wasn’t?” “Oh my god. Remember I told you that I had to mutilate that poor thing just to remove the heart so I could hear your voice?” “I saw.” “You did?” “Yep. Through the window.” “I…don’t know if I should be surprised, really. Oh my god. That means you saw…” Villanelle widens her eyes and bites her bottom lip. “I’m so embarrassed.” Eve throws her arm over her eyes and grumbles to herself. “Whattt? I wasn’t embarrassed when I told you in Paris that I masturbate to you a lot. Plus it’s not like I haven’t seen you touch yourself since then.” “Very true.” “I mean you can do it now, if you want.” Eve removes her arm and squints at her wife who is looking at her body appreciatively. “If I did that, we really won’t be functioning in the morning and morning is about three hours from now. I know how grumpy you are when you’re tired and you already haven’t been sleeping because you’re always fussing over Billie and me.” “Okay, fine.” Villanelle pouts but returns Eve’s kiss. She smiles widely when Eve whispers “We’ll have the house to ourselves when Omma takes Billie to visit my old nanny for their lunch date tomorrow so you’re going to need to save some of that energy for later, hotshot.” Enthused by the promise of midday sex, Villanelle turns on her side and slips her arm around Eve’s waist, falling asleep in seconds.

Next morning…

Eve wakes up before Villanelle and kisses her softly on the lips before slipping out of bed and heading straight into the bathroom to brush her teeth and shower. Half an hour later, she is in the kitchen feeding Billie mashed banana in her high chair. Eve makes low purring noises and moves the spoon around as if it is a helicopter and Billie’s tongue is the landing strip. Billie laughs and grabs at Eve’s hair with her sticky fingers. “God, you are so much like your mother,” Eve mumbles below her breath. Billie’s round hazel eyes remain fixated on her dark and curly hair as she smacks her lips together and spits up half of the mouthful of food onto the “Someone in Connecticut loves me” bib that Villanelle ordered for Omma after Eve had given birth.

“You look happy, baby,” Omma says as she flips chocolate chip pancakes from the frying pan and onto the plate next to the stove. Her eyes glimmer with a sense of knowing. Eve immediately blushes, wandering if her mother heard anything last night. She swallows quickly and looks up: “Because I am.” “You know…I think Oksana is the best thing that ever happened to you.” “Really?” Eve’s eyes widen, shocked at the gravity of her mother’s compliment. “You don’t?” “I do, of course I do. I’m just not used to you being so…vocal about your feelings.” “I’m sorry I wasn’t more communicative when you were growing up. I wish you had been able to tell me about you liking women.” “Omma! I would have told you if I had liked women before. I don’t think I ever thought about it until I met Oksana. I didn’t even think about kids really before I met her.” “Are you sure?” “Yes. When I was with Niko, I didn’t even think about having children after he told me he handled enough of them at work. He never called me names when we argued, but he never made me feel attractive or made me feel like he wanted to have kids with me. Oksana is genuinely excited to be my co-parent. You saw how attentive she was after the IVF treatment worked. She actually wanted to undergo surgery so her eggs could be removed and implanted within me. Who says yes to anything like that? Something could have happened during surgery after all the times she’s gotten beaten up and banged around from work…” Eve’s voice trails off when she sees Villanelle walk into the room, a wide grin plastered on her face, and she wonders how much of the conversation, if any, her wife heard. Her freshly showered hair is pulled up in a tight bun and she is wearing the matching holiday pajamas Eve purchased for them after she booked their airline tickets. She kisses Billie on the top of her head and then kisses Eve on the lips while wiggling her eyebrows towards Omma’s back.

“Morning Omma,” she says, walking up to her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Why don’t you sit down on the couch and relax or make sure Eve doesn’t somehow set the kitchen on fire and I’ll finish this up?” Villanelle turns to the stove. Eve’s skin feels warm from Villanelle’s touch and she is not exaggerating when she imagines her body set aflame instead of the kitchen. Omma sits down on the sofa with her cup of coffee and the newspaper. Billie gurgles and Eve wipes her mouth with her bib before pulling her out of the high chair and snuggling her against her chest. “You want to go and see Mom about some holiday pancakes?” Billie’s eyes find Villanelle’s beaming face as she steps away from her to flip a pancake in the air, catching it gracefully in the pan. “Is Mom trying to show off her kitchen techniques?” Eve asks Billie who laughs at Villanelle’s exaggerated expressions over Eve’s shoulder. “Omma! So rude. We can’t show Billie those.” Eve rolls her eyes and lowers her chin to look straight into Billie’s eyes: “Please don’t inherit your sense of humor from your mom.” “Please. You love how funny I am. And she does too. Don’t you, baby?” Villanelle takes Billie from Eve after turning the stovetop off and kisses her cheeks, pretending to chew them off. “Hmm. So yummy. And tasting like banana.” “She spit up half of it so I’m hoping she’ll eat a few bites of these pancakes. Omma, breakfast is ready. I’ll refill you coffee cup.” “You don’t like banana, huh? Me neither. But it’s good for you so you should not spit it up next time. Good for your skin, your digestion, not that you need any help with that…” Villanelle places Billie back in the high chair and sits down on the other side of it. She grabs her plate from Eve and cuts one pancake into tiny pieces. Placing the first piece between her index finger and thumb, she mimics the sound of a European car motor and brings her hand to Billie’s mouth. Billie’s lips part and Villanelle pushes the pancake inside her mouth. “Is it good, baby?” Villanelle asks, swallowing a piece of pancake slathered in syrup. Billie nods slightly and sucks her fingers. “No, we’re not eating our little hands. Eat some more.” Villanelle pouts as she tries to feed Billie more pancake. “Eat this if you want to open some nice presents.” Villanelle gently slides the pancake into Billie’s mouth and mimics her as she slowly chews and sucks it down. Billie reaches forward and places her sticky fingers on Villanelle’s cheeks. “Yummy, chubby fingers.” Villanelle pretends to bite them, eliciting a laugh from Billie. Eve retrieves her phone from her bedroom and takes photos of Villanelle feeding Billie and then photos of everyone opening up presents. 

Omma cries when she opens Villanelle’s present, an oil painting based on a photograph taken shortly after Billie was born. In the painting, Omma is sitting down holding Billie and looking down at her. On her left is Eve and on her right is Villanelle. Both are staring straight ahead and smiling, their hands intertwined behind Omma’s chair. When Eve sees the painting, she gasps and tears start falling down her cheeks. 

“I’m sorry, I just need to go upstairs for a second.” She backs away from Villanelle and Billie and her concerned looking mother and runs to her bedroom, her body wracked with sobs. She didn’t ever think she was capable of feeling so much for someone else or someone else feeling so much for her, yet here she was, in the middle of her life, in love with a woman who she had been obsessed with (was still obsessed with) for the last few years. And they had a child together. And now the woman was part of her family and practically best friends with her mother, a woman who tried her best to befriend Niko but was never given the type of compassion or consideration Villanelle had displayed since day one. 

A gentle knock against the door and Villanelle’s “Eeeve?” pulls Eve out of her sob fest a few seconds later. The doorknob turns and Villanelle walks in, her eyes filled with worry and confusion.

“Did you not like the painting?” 

“I loved it.”

“But you’re crying.”

“Yes. Because Niko—“ Villanelle frowns a little at the mention of her wife’s ex-husband “He would never have done anything like this for my mother. He never did anything like this for me. He didn’t even want children. What you feel for me and what I feel for you and what we both feel for Billie, it’s changed me. It scares me still.”

“Can I move closer?” Villanelle asks, her eyes wandering around Eve’s face. She is worried about what her wife will say next and is still working on how to make her feel better by using words and not sex but for now she just wants to hold her.

“Of course.”

Villanelle clambers onto the very small bed and thinks to herself that she will order a larger bed for Eve’s childhood bedroom so they can be more comfortable the next time they visit. She rests her back against the headboard and spreads her legs so that Eve can sit between them and their arms can interlock across her belly. “Do you feel a little better right now?” Villanelle whispers. 

“Yes.”

“You were saying you feel scared because you love me so much?”

“Yes.”

“Do you feel scared because you think I will leave?”

“No. I feel scared because loving you actually makes my heart expand. You’ve taught me so much about love and honesty and communication. I have no idea what my life was like before you.”

“I don’t think the sex was that great.” Villanelle says gravely.

Eve’s lips turn upwards and she turns her head to kiss her wife’s solemn face.

“It wasn’t. Nowhere as close to what we have.” Villanelle’s mouth forms a perfectly shaped “Oh” and her eyes widen. Eve thinks of how Billie pulls the same expression and smiles. She can feel Villanelle humming contentedly from the compliment so she adds, “Sex with you is otherworldly.” “Now you’re just trying to make me horny.” Villanelle’s hands start to slide below Eve’s navel and below the waistband of her holiday PJ trousers. Eve gasps when Villanelle plants her palms securely over her pelvic bone.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to move my hands,” Villanelle whispers. “Not until your mother leaves with Billie. I’m decent like that.”

“Oh really?” Now Eve’s tears are gone and she laughs. “May I remind you of what you did with your hands at our engagement party when we were sitting at the table next to Omma?” This time Villanelle’s face really does look surprised and Eve almost falls for it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You might have mixed me up with another devastating blonde.” “Uh huh.” “You said you have no idea what your life was like before me…well, I know what my life was like before you and it felt pretty empty. I was just a ‘killing machine’ and nobody ever saw me as anything else. Until you did. I never would have imagined spending Christmas in Connecticut with your mother, my baby, and our baby. I never celebrated holidays with anybody except for Konstantin but he doesn’t really count as family.” “We’re lucky to have you, baby,” Eve turns around and kisses her wife again. Both hear the front door close and Eve looks at the analog clock on her bedside table. “I bet that was Omma leaving with Billie.” “Hmm, probably. We didn’t finish opening our presents though.” “Oh, please. Presents can wait. This can’t.” Villanelle smiles and shimmies her body down onto the bed and watches Eve sit below her hipbones. “You really are the greatest gift,” Villanelle whispers, propping herself up on her elbows and catching her wife’s lips between her own. “Merry Christmas, baby,” Eve replies.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve and Villanelle attend Christmas lunch with Eve's extended family and have conversations around extending their own family. Will there be another baby on the way? Only time (and possibly your comments;P) will tell. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and for leaving kudos/comments!

Same day, 1:11PM

Eve wakes up to her phone buzzing on the bedside table and she yelps when she looks at the time. Villanelle is wrapped around her, fingers splayed across her navel and one of her legs thrown over both of Eve’s.

“Baby. Baby. BABY!” Eve yells, wiggling out of Villanelle’s protective grasp to stand besides the bed. 

“What?! Is Billie okay?” Villanelle replies automatically, eyes shooting open. She is almost screaming as her voice tries to match the urgency in her wife’s.

“It’s 1PM!”

“Okay???” 

“We fell asleep after sex instead of getting ready for lunch with the relatives!”

“It’s not our fault both of us crashed after experiencing holiday sex. The holidays can be very tiring as you know.” Villanelle smirks and stretches, her eyes not leaving Eve’s face as Eve rolls her eyes at her, a smile playing on her lips. She turns around to rummage around in their suitcases.

“You know,” Villanelle murmurs, suddenly standing behind Eve and slipping her arms around her waist, “You shouldn’t be walking around your childhood room wearing nothing and looking devastating.”

“Oh yeah?,” Eve replies, only half listening, her brow furrowed as she pulls out two garment bags from the top half of Villanelle’s suitcase and hangs them up behind her door.

“Yes. Because someone might never want to leave.” Villanelle bends down and kisses Eve on the neck. She grins when she feels Eve’s stomach muscles clench beneath her fingers.

“What if I make that someone leave by escorting them into the shower since we obviously have to shower again?”

“Are you asking me to shower with you because you always know what my answer is,” Villanelle murmurs, her low voice sending shivers down Eve’s spine.

Eve cranes her head so she can meet her wife’s lips. “I cannot shower with you right now. We really do need to be getting ready before Omma and Billie come back to find out we’ve been locked in my bedroom like horny teenagers. And aren’t you tired?” Eve’s eyebrows quirk up, a small smile tugging her lips upwards.

Villanelle’s eyes widen and she pouts. “I will never be tired from having sex with you. I can’t believe you would even question…”

Eve kisses Villanelle to shut her up and quickly adds: “Baby, I’m not underestimating your abilities. But if you don’t get into that shower now, I may not have sex with you again so you won’t even have to worry about your libido anymore.”

“How rude!” Villanelle nips Eve’s ear gently to say otherwise and then leaves the room with her towel, slyly turning her head and throwing Eve a wink after crossing the doorway.

Eve chuckles to herself and throws on her wife’s silk bathrobe so she doesn’t get cold. She fluffs out her comforter and does her bed and folds the holiday pajama sets strewn on the floor besides it, placing them on top.  
She then texts her mother back to confirm that they can leave for Aunt Christine’s by 3:30PM but is startled when she hears the front door opening.

“Eve?” Oma’s voice rings up the stairs and Eve hears the front door closing. “Shit!” Eve mutters to herself. She runs downstairs and greets her mother who eyes her attire and smiles but doesn’t say anything, handing Billie to her.

“Oksana is showering, Omma. You know how she gets with her compulsive showering…How was Billie during lunch?”

“She was fine but I think she wants some milk now. She didn’t eat anything and Ellen felt bad that she didn’t have any soft food for her.”

“I’ll feed her now. Hi baby. Did you have a good time? Whew,I need to change you after I feed you, don’t I? Maybe you had a bit too much pancake at breakfast…” Eve walks over to the couch and starts to breastfeed Billie who gurgles softly and flashes Eve a milky smile.

Villanelle walks into the room wearing a red suit and a black silk top, her hair done up in a low bun. Her eyes zero in on Billie and she grins at Eve before walking into the kitchen and kissing her mother-in-law on the cheek. 

“Go and sit down with Eve and Billie. I’m making some tea,” Omma says, refusing Villanelle’s assistance. 

Villanelle walks over to the couch and sits next to Eve. “You want me to hold onto her little fingers?,” she asks, watching Billie continue to pull on Eve’s hair.

“No, it’s okay. She isn’t pulling that hard.”

Villanelle’s eyes glint and Eve laughs at the sexual innuendo she knows her wife is thinking of.

“I still find it really sexy whenever you wear my clothes,” Villanelle whispers into Eve’s ear. “But what is even more sexy is that you’re breastfeeding our child.”

Eve clenches her thighs together. “I know you do. You’ve shown me that many times, hotshot.”

“What about one more time, just to refresh your memory?”

Eve swallows and wonders if it’s possible to have an orgasm without being touched. Then she wonders if it is possible to feel aroused all the time. She definitely did not feel this way around Niko, not even during their honeymoon phase. Before her horny train can derail any further, her mother walks into the room with a tray of mugs and cookies and a towel that she hands to Villanelle.

“I think she’s done,” Eve says, wiping Billie’s mouth with the towel.

“I’ll burp and change her so you can take a shower,” Villanelle offers, placing the towel against her shoulder and taking Billie from Eve.

“Thanks baby. Omma, I’ll be down in twenty minutes!” Eve rushes upstairs.

“How was the lunch date with Ellen, Omma?” Villanelle asks, walking around the room and rubbing her daughter’s back, waiting for her to burp.

“She loved meeting Billie and told me she reminded her of Eve when she was a baby.”

“How come?”

“She’s a good baby. Doesn’t cry that much. Doesn’t scream, even if she needs changing. Is active. Eve was the same. Her father and I had no troubles with her when she was small. He would have loved you and would have loved seeing her so in love.” Omma’s voice drops at the confession and Villanelle can feel her heart sinking. Eve doesn’t talk about her father that much and Villanelle knows it’s because his unexpected and sudden death from a heart attack really wrecked her. 

“I wish I could have met him,” Villanelle says softly. She grabs Billie’s diaper bag from the front door entryway and pulls it towards the couch. After changing Billie’s diaper and dressing her back up in an organic white cotton long sleeved dress decorated with red pine trees and red leggings, she sets Billie down in her rose-colored quilted cotton bouncer chair from Pottery Barn, a Christmas present from Omma.

“Me too. We had our disagreements, just like everyone else, but we could never stay mad at each other. I remember one time, this was after Eve had left for college, we had argued over something so trivial, I can’t even remember what it was about now, and I woke up to him making french toast at 2 in the morning. When I asked him why he was doing that he turned to me and said it was because french toast was my favorite breakfast meal and he wanted to make me some in case I couldn’t sleep and slipped down to the kitchen for a snack. Because he knew I did that when I couldn’t sleep, rummage around in the kitchen for food while the water boiled for tea.”

“That’s a beautiful memory, Omma.”

“Seeing you and my daughter together reminds me of me and Hajoon. I’m so happy you have Billie. Are you considering another?”

“We haven’t talked about it, but I would love to have another one.”

“I’m perfectly happy with just one grandchild but I do remember Eve being lonely as an only child. Sometimes I regret not having one more…” Omma’s voice trails off when Eve walks into the room in an emerald green suit with a white silk blouse. In her hands are two cellphones, her purse, and a present for her mother’s aunt.

“I’m going to change into something else because both of you look like you are attending some big Hollywood show!” Omma laughs and leaves the room as her words about having another baby circle Villanelle’s mind.

“Is everything okay?” Eve bends down and brushes her hand against Billie’s forehead.

“Yes.”

“What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“You look good in that suit.”

“Thank you. My personal stylist picked it out.”

“She has excellent taste.” Villanelle kisses Eve back and watches Eve rearrange Billie’s diaper bag and dangle one of Billie’s plush toys in front of her before handing it to her. 

“It’s not so bad having a little one, is it?” Villanelle awkwardly spits out, mentally kicking herself for her odd phrasing.

“No?”

“Would you want two?”

“Would I want to what?”

“Would you want another?” Villanelle is blushing now, her palms feeling clammy against her knees.

“Baby. Are you asking me if we should have another baby?”

“Uh, yes?”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

“Did Omma just plant an idea in your head about this or something?”

“No!”

“So where is this coming from?”

“I was just thinking about our future and how Billie is growing up so fast. I already miss her. Is that weird?”

Eve stands up from her position on the floor next to the diaper bag and sits down next to her very concerned-looking wife. “That’s not weird at all. Earlier when I was feeding her, I was thinking of the day she was born and how both of us were surprised at how well she latched after we had discussed the possibility of having to buy a breast pump in case she didn’t.”

“You remembered that? You did so well that day.” Villanelle kisses Eve on the cheek and Eve leans into her, pulling Villanelle’s arm up and slipping it around her neck.

“I remember everything from that day. You couldn’t stop crying until I fed her and then she fell asleep in your arms.”

“I’ve never fallen in love that quickly before,” Villanelle professes, choking up on the vivid memory.

“Hey, look at me, please?”

Villanelle turns her head and returns her wife’s steady gaze.

“We can talk about adding to our family after this lunch, after we’re back home, okay?”

“You’re serious?” Villanelle’s face lights up and she squeezes Eve’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Thirty minutes later, Aunt Christine’s house....

“There they are!” Christine’s husband, Rob, answers the door and greets Eve’s mother, his wife’s aunt. He takes her outside clothing from her and thanks her for the gift and Omma follows Christine into the living room/kitchen area behind him. He then turns to Eve and Villanelle and takes their coats, hats, scarves, and gloves before sending them down the hallway.

Villanelle laughs as Christine almost tackles them to the ground after Omma takes Billie from the carrier Villanelle is wearing and proudly starts introducing her to the family members, removing her hat, coat, gloves, and booties in the process.

“You two are glowing. Any developments we should be informed about?,” Aunt Christine asks, handing Eve and Villanelle two cups of coffee and winking.

Villanelle can feel the tips of her ears heat up and she quickly guzzles down her coffee as Eve reaches for her free hand and holds it, gently squeezing. “We’re just enjoying being home and having a break from work.”

“Well, you’re doing something right because Billie is an angel.”

Villanelle grins and sets down her coffee cup before Christine’s six year old son, Ki, barrels into her legs, hugging them. The last time she saw him was a few days after Billie’s birth and he was completely enamored by Villanelle’s ability to mimic some of his favorite cartoon characters.

“Do you want to see my room, Auntie Oksana?,” he asks, after hugging Eve back. Eve steps behind Villanelle and unstraps the carrier and takes it from her, nudging her head towards Ki and smiling. 

Villanelle musses up Ki’s dark hair with her hand and bends down to look him in the eyes: “I thought you’d never ask. Let me and your auntie Eve say hello to everyone first and then we can go and play, okay?”

Eve and Villanelle walk around the room and finish greeting everyone. When Villanelle starts to speak Korean conversationally, Eve’s heart flutters over the way her wife has made it a point to learn her language. She squeezes Villanelle’s hand and Villanelle squeezes back. They both laugh when they see Omma in the middle of the room holding Billie who is now wide awake and smiling at the faces Uncle Rob is making behind Omma’s back. 

“Do you mind if I go upstairs with Ki?” Villanelle turns to Eve. 

Eve smiles. “Of course not. Have fun, baby.” Eve kisses Villanelle on the lips.

“Are you ready now?,” Ki asks, reaching out for Villanelle’s hand.

“Let’s go, partner,” Villanelle replies. She picks him up and throws him over her shoulder, tickling him and making him erupt in laughter. The two disappear around the corner and go upstairs, Ki’s laughter cascading down the hallway.

The image makes Eve think about Villanelle’s question from earlier and she wonders if Villanelle would want a boy. Her thoughts are interrupted when her cousin Eunji walks over to her and hands her a plate with a hot cinnamon roll on it. Both of them sit down at the table and Eunji sips from a mug of tea. “Is everything okay? You’re thinking about something, I can tell.” 

Eve grins apologetically. “Seeing Oksana with Ki…it makes me think about having another. Isn’t that ridiculous?”

“What’s wrong with that? Your first one is perfection.” Eve and Eunji look at Billie and Omma on the sofa flanked by Aunt Christine and Uncle Rob and Eunji’s older sister Kwan who is holding her own baby, Hayoon.

“I worry about age, the difficulties behind IVF, our work schedules. As it is, I feel like I don’t have much time to spend with Oksana. Is it selfish of me to not want to give that up?”

“Not at all. Remember that saying your dad would always remind us about when we were growing up and crying over boys in high school and then worried about getting into colleges? ‘Humans plan, God laughs’?”

“Yeah, I remember,” Eve smiles, her eyes gleaming with the memory.

“You can worry all you want but worrying doesn’t do anything. If you and Oksana want to have another one, try to consider it after setting aside all the what-ifs. We only live once. You told me that when I graduated from college and wasn’t sure if I should move abroad or stay in Connecticut. You told me to take that risk and I did and it was the best decision of my life. Have you talked to Oksana about it?” 

“She mentioned it in passing earlier but I don’t know if it’s because Omma said something about wanting another grandchild or if it’s because she genuinely wants another.”

“You know your wife better than anyone, yeah? Even if your mother said something, Oksana doesn’t seem like the type of person who is easily influenced by what other people think.”

“Hmm, good point. I know that but I really don’t want her to feel pressured by Omma since she cares about her opinions deeply and loves her.”

“That’s great and disgustingly adorable but I think she cares about your opinions more, hmm?”

“Gosh,” Eve laughs, “the student has become the master.”

“I learned from the best. You really helped me out after Kwan married and moved away. I don’t think I would have made it through college without all of your advice.”

“Thanks Eunji. I’m going to take some cinnamon rolls upstairs so can you let everyone know in case Omma needs any help with Billie?”

“Yeah, I’ll let her know. Here, let me get the rolls for you.” 

Eve walks upstairs with two large cinnamon rolls on a plate and her refilled coffee mug and heads into Ki’s room where Villanelle is sitting up in Ki’s bed and reading him a book titled “Dear Juno.” Ki is leaning against Villanelle’s side and he giggles when her voice changes with each character switch. Villanelle’s eyes light up when she notices Eve and she turns to Ki who yells over the presence of cinnamon rolls. He takes one and bites a huge chuck from it, icing dribbling down his chin.

“Ki, take this napkin please. I don’t want your mom to find icing on your bed. Do you want some juice? I can go and get you some.”

“No, I will go!” Ki walks out of the room and Eve can hear him walking down the stairs.

Eve sits down next to Villanelle and holds the cinnamon roll up to her lips. “Hmm, this is so good. Did Aunt Christine make these?,” Villanelle asks, swallowing down her first bite and grinning when Eve leans forward and kisses away the icing on her lips.

“Yeah, she did. Were you reading this whole time?”

“No. We played dinosaurs and dinosaurs and then I started reading after that.”

“Dinosaurs and dinosaurs?”

“I was the t-rex and Ki wanted to be a pterodactyl. Our made-up game. He kept jumping off the bed and I had to catch him because I told him pterodactyls could fly.” Villanelle finishes her roll and wipes her mouth.

“You must be tired from all those flying lessons. Do you want a massage?”

“Are you offering?”

“Yes. Remove your blazer please.” 

Villanelle removes her suit jacket and Eve stands up to hand it on the corner of Ki’s door. She sits back down on Ki’s bed, back against headboard, and Villanelle sits down in front of her, cross-legged. 

“Your muscles are really tense, babe,” Eve murmurs, her voice low as her fingers rub gentle but firm circles against Villanelle’s shoulder blade and upper back.

“I know.”

“Are you stressed out about anything?”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“What we talked about earlier, I was thinking about it downstairs…”

“Mmm.” Villanelle’s eyes close and she leans back, groaning with pleasure as the knot between her shoulderblades reacts to Eve’s touch.

“I want another baby.”

“What?” Villanelle’s eyes open and she pulls away so she can turn around and face Eve, their crossed legs touching. 

“If this is something you want, I want to explore our options when we return home.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” 

Villanelle places her hands on Eve’s legs and leans forward to kiss her. “Do you really want this or are you trying to say yes because you know I do?”

“No, I wouldn’t do that. I know how big of a decision this would be for the both of us and for Billie as well.”

“We don’t have to decide anything right now. I don’t want to pressure you. I just thought, since I was an only child, and you were an only child, it might be nice for Billie to not be an only child?”

“That makes a lot of sense to me. I would love her to grow up with a younger sister or brother.”

“Eve? Oksana?” 

“Yes, Omma?? We’re in Ki’s room.”

Villanelle stands up and takes Billie from her mother-in-law, stroking her hair and kissing her flushed, tear-stained cheeks. She also grabs the diaper bag from her and places it on the floor near the bed.

“Is she hungry again?”

“I think she’s hungry again and probably tired. Everybody wanted to hold her but she started crying.”

“I’ll feed her and then we’ll come down for food,” Eve takes off her blazer and hands it to Villanelle who removes her blazer from the door and places both on the chair in front of the window.

“Okay, if she wants to sleep after, we can bring the bouncer from the car or you can place her in Christine’s room. She told me she pulled out Ki’s crib from the basement for Billie.”

“Yes. Thanks for taking care of her, Omma.” Omma leaves the room and closes the door slightly for some more privacy.

Eve sits down on the chair and unbuttons her top. Villanelle hands her Billie and sits down on the bed, watching her wife and her daughter watch each other. 

“She really is a good baby. I wonder what she’s going to be like when she’s older,” Eve whispers, her eyes deepening as Billie suckles and coos, punching the skin above Eve’s nipple lightly with her clenched fist..

“Incredibly smart, for one thing. Very funny, for another. Center of every room.”

“You think she’ll be the life of the party?”

“Yes. She already is.”

“I think she’ll be independent and have a lot of friends. I hope she’ll talk to us whenever she faces problems.”

“If any of them come from crushes who don’t like her back, or any boy or girl who breaks her heart, I can easily just get rid of them.” Villanelle grins wolfishly and Eve scoffs, trying to seem indignant despite her heart swelling with pride over her wife’s overprotectiveness.

“I think she’ll talk to you more about her problems.”

“Why?”

“You’re good at problem solving.”

“And you’re not?”

“I am, but you’re always very calm and composed when Billie is crying nonstop or we’re out and an emergency happens whereas I’m the one panicking and trying to take deep breaths.”

“You work well when you’re panicked though. We just have our own styles of parenting, I guess.”

“I wish you could have met my dad. You and him have similar styles. He was always making Omma laugh, even when she was mad at him. Whenever I was mad at him, he’d leave a plate of food outside of my door after knocking three times, our secret signal. I would wait until I heard his door close before opening my door up and taking the plate and eating everything on it. He had a hard time vocalizing apologies, so that was his way of saying sorry.” Eve’s eyes are full as she moves from the chair to sit on the bed next to Villanelle, both their backs against the wall.

“Can I take her?”

Eve nods. Villanelle takes Billie and stands up with her, walking her around the room as she gurgles excitedly and moves her hands up and down. Villanelle crinkles her nose and hands Billie to Eve before pulling out a changing pad and baby wipes from the diaper bag and placing them on Ki’s desk. After putting Billie down and removing her leggings, she removes her diaper and makes a big show of widening her eyes and waving her hand in front of her face, making both Eve and Billie laugh. 

“Here, I’ll throw it away in the bathroom,” Eve says, scrunching up her nose in jest as she takes the diaper and throws it out the adjacent bathroom.

Villanelle wipes Billie down before putting a clean diaper on her. Eve helps put her leggings back on and Villanelle takes Billie back, speaking to her softly as Billie hits her hands against the towel flung over Villanelle’s right shoulder. 

“Are you going to burp? Do you need to burp?,” Villanelle asks, her voice low and soothing. 

After a few minutes, Villanelle notices Billie has fallen asleep. “Should we move to Christine’s room?,” she whispers. Eve nods and follows her down the hall with their blazers and diaper bag. A wooden crib is positioned next to the bed and they place Billie in it, covering her with her favorite blanket from her diaper bag.

“Did you pack the baby monitor?”

“Yes but I’m tired now, too. Do you mind if we just lie down for a second instead of going back downstairs?,” Eve asks. Villanelle nods and they lie down next to each other on Christine’s bed.

“I wish I met your dad, too. Omma talked about how he would make her french toast sometimes in the middle of the night if they had an argument.”

“She told you about that?”

“Yeah.”

“I forgot about those times he did that. Maybe that’s why french toast is my favorite breakfast food.”

“Not pancakes?”

“No.”

“But you love mine.”

“I do love yours because you make really good pancakes, baby, and because I know you love them so much. But french toast is my ultimate breakfast food choice.”

“Noted.”

“Please don’t start making me french toast at midnight. I love everything you make for me and don’t need any more special attention when it comes to food.” Eve gently nudges her wife in the ribs.

“Fine.”

“My dad would have appreciated your love for languages. You speak Korean like it’s your first language. You put me to shame with how well you know it.”

“Let’s speak it together then, with Billie.”

“You want to?”

“I want her to learn as many languages as possible.”

“Would you want her to learn Russian?”

“Yes. Even though I don’t like the language as much as the others.” Villanelle’s brow furrows and Eve wonders if she dislikes the language because of her family or because of Dasha or because of other unsavory characters she has yet to talk about with her.

“Really? But you speak it during sex.”

“You make it really hard to stay focused.”

“You, too.” A shy smile flickers across Eve’s face and she reaches for Villanelle’s hand. “Should we go downstairs now? I’m hungry and don’t want to be rude.”

“Yes. I think Billie will sleep for at least an hour and then we can leave when she wakes up.”

“Good plan. We can go home and watch a movie with Omma and then go to sleep.”

Villanelle raises her eyebrows.

“No sex tonight. We have my mini college reunion brunch tomorrow. I want to show you off to everyone.”

“Oof. You’re so sexy when you’re being bossy.”

Eve laughs and kisses Villanelle on the cheek before getting up from the bed and pulling her along. “Come on, sexy. Let’s go eat.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Villanelle and Eve attend a mini college reunion for lunch where Villanelle meets Eve's first love. Feelings are felt and emotions are expressed. Villanelle reaches out to Nadia for advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for leaving kudos and feedback. Hope you like the third chapter! I don't know if there'll be another chapter but you can leave comments if you want to see something happen in a potential chapter.

The next morning…

When Eve wakes up, she sees Villanelle reclining in the chair next to Eve’s window with Billie snugly strapped against her chest in her hands-free cloth baby wrap. The book “Love You Forever” is in one of Villanelle’s hands and her other hand is holding onto one of Billie’s. Snow is falling outside the window and Eve feels like she is still dreaming. She grabs her phone from the bedside table and quickly snaps a picture before Villanelle notices.

“Good morning,” Eve says, stepping out of bed in Villanelle’s oversized Zeppelin t-shirt that hangs below her waist. Villanelle’s eyes meet her own before running down the length of her body and going back up.

“Now it’s an even better one,” Villanelle teases, her eyes noting the flush on her wife’s cheeks.

“I didn’t hear you wake up, I must have been knocked out. Did Billie wake Omma up?”

“I heard Omma walking by the room one hour or so ago so I wanted to get up and help her with Billie in case she was tired.”

“You’re wide awake. Aren’t you glad we slept early last night?”

“Yes. So who is going to be at his reunion brunch thing and what time do we need to leave?”

“It starts at eleven but I want to walk around The Shops at Yale and look for some souvenirs. Can we leave around nine, in one hour? I’m not sure who will be there but I know my roommate Aisha, and Samir, her husband will definitely be there. She said quite a few people cancelled due to the weather.”

“Do you want to bring baby with us?”

“No, it might be too cold for her to stay out for too long if we’re going to be walking around first. Omma won’t mind if we leave her here even though we’ll miss you.” Eve takes Billie from Villanelle and kisses her face, making her laugh when she gently nudges her belly with her nose.

“Ow!” Eve yells out when Billie grabs onto her hair and pulls it playfully. “When did you become so strong? Is Mom teaching you how to lift weights or something?”

“Not for another two months,” Villanelle winks.

“She got this from you, this hair pulling habit. I think she’s seen you doing it a few too many times.”

“Or maybe she just appreciates nice things when she sees them?” Villanelle stands up and removes the wrap, leaving it on the chair, before taking Billie back and making airplane noises, “flying” her around the room.

“Let me feed her and then I’m going to shower and get ready. Did you shower already?” Eve sits down on the chair after slipping out of the shirt and into her wife’s bathrobe. 

“Yes, it was very lonely without you,” Villanelle plainly states as if personally offended over the fact that she had to shower alone.

Eve laughs but stops when she realizes her wife is being serious. “We cannot shower together all the time.”

“But it helps the environment.”

“Uh, yes, but you also get distracted and the environment is not helped just because you turn off the water while you’re seducing me. We probably end up using the same amount since you spend so much time rinsing me off.”

“I like the way your body looks beneath water,” Villanelle shrugs, turning towards her suitcase.

“Wowww. Are you trying to make me lose my mind?,” Eve whines as Billie looks up at her. “Your mom is trying to make me lose my mind, baby. Rude, I know.”

“Does this mean you don’t want to sleep early tonight?,” Villanelle asks, turning around and giving her wife a suggestive smirk.

“Oh, you’re smooth, aren’t you?” Eve stands up and wipes Billie’s face with one of her bibs before handing her to Villanelle who reaches in her suitcase for Billie’s snowman onesie before standing back up and unabashedly checking out her wife’s full breasts as Eve takes off the robe and wraps herself up in a large towel.

“So that’s a yes?”

“We’ll see,” Eve wiggles her eyebrows and leaves the room, ignoring Villanelle’s indignant huff.

One hour later, Eve and Villanelle are walking around The Shops at Yale. After stopping by Atticus Bookstore Cafe and eating pastries for their breakfast, they order hot chocolates to go due to the frigid temperature and continuous snowfall. Both are dressed in dark colored jeans and cable knit sweaters, beanies, scarves, gloves, and winter coats. They enter idiom where Eve purchases artisan earrings for Elena. Villanelle purchases two sweatshirts from FatFace for her brothers who are visiting them in one week. When Villanelle spots cute baby clothes through the window of dwell New Haven, she and Eve agree to separate and meet outside Harvest Wine Bar and Restaurant where the reunion is being held. Eve heads to campus customs, an official Yale Merchandise retailer, where she buys a soft grey Yale sweatshirt for Villanelle (that she plans on wearing) and a Yale onesie for Billie. At dwell, Villanelle buys a long sleeve onesie for Billie with “New Haven” on it in the colors of the rainbow as well as a peony + sea travel candle for Eve. 

Villanelle’s phone vibrates in her pocket as she finishes paying. She pulls it out and checks the text from Eve.

Baby: Just arrived. Aisha and Samir are already here. See you soon? x.

Villanelle: On the way, just finishing up. x.

Villanelle drops off the shopping bags in the SUV she and Eve rented for their stay and moves the car to a parking lot closer to the bar so Eve doesn’t have to walk too far after their meal. When she walks inside, she spots Eve sitting at a table with one female and two males. One of the males is on Eve’s left and the brunette female is on her right with the other male on her right. Villanelle tries not to be bothered over the fact that Eve didn’t save her a spot or the fact that the male is sitting close to Eve and takes a deep breath before she walks over.

“Hi! Hi baby, sit down,” Eve gets up and the female slides down one chair, giving up her seat to Villanelle. “Everyone, this is my wife, Oksana. Oksana, this is Aisha, her husband Samir, and David.”

“Hi,” Villanelle says, shaking everyone’s hand and sitting down. She gives a drink order to the waitress who stops by and sets down everybody else’s drinks.

“So you’re the one who finally made Eve commit to settling down and having a baby,” Aisha says, her eyes glinting as Eve buries her face in her hands.

“Um…,” Villanelle offers, not knowing what to say and feeling out of her element.

“This one was a wild one back in our college days. Nobody could lock her down. Not even David here, the campus casanova willing to risk it all for domestic bliss.”

Eve laughs and nudges Aisha playfully before glancing at her wife who avoids eye contact and instead fixes her gaze on David, presumably Eve’s ex and someone Eve never mentioned.

“I did my best. Bought a ring and everything,” David shrugs, downing his beer. His hair is black but speckled with grey and his eyes are dark brown. Although he is slender, he is still muscular and looks good in the tailored suit he is wearing. Villanelle notices he isn’t wearing a wedding ring. 

“You proposed?,” she asks lightly, finishing off her drink.

“Twice and was rejected both times.”

“I wasn’t ready,” Eve cuts in.

“I think you were just waiting for the right one,” David smiles at Villanelle who clenches her jaw and smiles back. “So…where’d you two meet?”

“Work,” Eve replies, eyes scanning Villanelle’s face. 

“Are you a top secret government employee as well, Oksana?,” Samir inquires.

“Something like that,” Villanelle replies.

“What do you do, David?,” Villanelle returns her attention to David who she catches glancing at Eve. Eve clears her throat but Villanelle ignores her attempt to grab her attention.

“I’m an aerospace engineer for Lockheed Martin. It sounds boring but it’s not that bad.”

“Work must keep you busy. Do you have family around here?” Villanelle steals a look at Eve and can feel the heat of an invisible electric current between them.

“My sister lives in Rhode Island but the rest of our family is back home in Korea. I was never married so work is my full-time love. I don’t mind though. I don’t think I could handle another rejection,” David jokes, dropping one hand on Eve’s left knee and squeezing it affectionately. Eve’s skin flushes and Villanelle is hit with a flurry of confusing thoughts and her entire body reacts. Instantly, she knows she is having a panic attack and decides to go to the bathroom so she doesn’t embarrass herself or Eve.

“Excuse me, I just need to call one of my colleagues about something,” Villanelle states, grabbing her phone from her coat pocket and heading to the bathroom where she steps inside one of the stalls and leans against the wall, trying to slow down her breathing and stop her train of thoughts: She reacts that way when I make a sex joke or when she’s aroused or during sex. Is she attracted to David? Maybe she doesn’t even like women and she’s been fooling around this entire time. Why didn’t she ever tell me about her college ex if he proposed to her twice? I told her about Nadia and she knew about what happened with Anna. Once again, I don’t know what to do. I didn’t have a normal life or a college experience. Her friends probably think I’m weird. I just want to leave and go somewhere with Billie. 

Villanelle unlocks her phone and texts Nadia.

Villanelle: Can you text right now?

A few minutes later, Nadia replies.

Nadia: Yes, just finished dinner. What’s wrong? 

Villanelle: At Eve’s college reunion holiday lunch. Her college ex is here. He proposed to her twice and is flirting with her.

Nadia: Hmm…he might still have feelings for her but she doesn’t have feelings for him.

Villanelle: How do you know that?

Nadia: He proposed to her twice and she said no? She didn’t want to be with him then so why would she want that now?

Villanelle: She’s blushing! *angry face* I don’t have much relationship experience but when someone blushes, doesn’t that mean they have feelings?

Nadia: No. I blush when a stranger gives me a compliment but that doesn’t mean I want to sleep with them…”

Villanelle: Am I overreacting?

Nadia: You left the table so you could text me, right? 

Villanelle: Yes.

Nadia: Are you having another attack?

Villanelle: Trying to make it stop, in a bathroom stall. At least it is clean, ha, ha. 

Nadia: Eve loves you. You need to communicate with her. Your brothers are visiting you two in a few days. Did you know she texted me to find out what she could do to make their holiday visit extra memorable?”

Villanelle: No! I didn’t even know she had your number??

Nadia: She’s an excellent investigator. She must have pulled it from your phone. Go out and be with your wife. This is her college reunion, you know? I’m sure she’s just nervous and excited to see her friends and wants her wife to enjoy their presence as well.

Villanelle: Thanks. I owe you.

Nadia: Just send some good chocolate and ginger biscuits back home with your brothers and we’ll call it even. *winky face*

Villanelle: I will. Be safe.

Villanelle slips her phone into her pocket and washes her hand before leaving the bathroom. When she returns to the table, Samir and David are now sitting next to each other and discussing football at one end while Aisha and Eve are on the other and enjoying photos of Billie on Eve’s phone. Villanelle grins and sits down next to Eve, kissing her lightly on the side of her forehead.

“Is everything okay?,” Eve asks, eyebrows raised.

“Yes.”

“Your baby is officially the cutest child I’ve ever seen and her outfits are adorable,” Aisha proclaims. Villanelle feels her heart expanding with pride.

“She is. Thank you.”

“Her hair is so thick and dark, oofff. I just want to eat her.”

“That’s exactly how I feel whenever I see her,” Villanelle grins. “You’re more than welcome to visit us and be her babysitter.”

“I’d love to. Samir and I are planning a European vacation sometime next year so England will be number one on our list.”

“Just let us know,” Villanelle says, slipping one arm around the back of Eve’s chair and letting it rest against her wife’s back.

“Tell me more about how wild my wife was during college,” Villanelle teases.

“She wasn’t wild wild. Just outgoing. Studied a lot at the library. I had to practically drag her back to our room so she wouldn’t try and camp out there.”

“You were always afraid someone would jump out of the bushes and attack me,” Eve says, a small smile gracing her lips as a look of nostalgia passes behind her pupils.

“There were a few incidences of robbery and rape on campus. I just wanted you to be safe. I think my parents sent you that pepper spray keychain one year, right?”

“Yeah. Thank God I never had to use it but it was comforting to have. Anyway, you and Samir look well. Have you talked about kids since the last time we spoke over the phone?”

“We’ve been trying but only time will tell. At this point of our lives, I’d be happy with one. My parents keep asking about grandchildren and my argument that Sherlock should count as one keeps failing.”

Eve turns to Villanelle, “Sherlock is Aisha’s Scottish Terrier.”

“A baby is a baby, right? Some have fur and some don’t.”

“See, you get it!” Aisha laughs. 

“Babe, I ordered for you when you were in the bathroom. I hope that’s okay,” Eve says as the waitress arrives at their table with two trays of food.

“Yes, of course it is. What’d you order?”

“The challah french toast.”

“That’s perfect but I’m sure it’s not as good as your dad’s,” Villanelle says softly.

Eve smiles ruefully and turns her head, kissing Villanelle on the lips.

“No and that’s really sweet of you to remember…”

“Eve’s dad would have been all over you,” Aisha says, digging into a falafel wrap.

“So I’ve heard. I would have loved to meet him.”

“After Eve turned down David the second time, I remember him calling me on the phone to make sure she was okay…”

“You never told me about this?,” Eve interrupts, swallowing down a forkful of french toast and drinking from her mug of coffee.

“He asked me to check on you but I knew I didn’t need to. You weren’t heartbroken like David was.”

“No?,” Villanelle asks and looking at Eve.

“No, I wasn’t. David’s a great guy but I’ve never been attracted to him the way he was attracted to me. He’s more of a brother.”

“Oh,” Villanelle’s eyes slide over to David as he and Samir continue to talk enthusiastically between themselves over plates of eggplant spaghetti and wood-grilled salmon.

“Oh my god, I’m sorry! Did you think there was still something going on there?” Aisha bursts out laughing. “Definitely not. Eve and I joke all the time about how we’re trying to find someone who we can match David up with.”

“My ears are ringing,” David says as he and Samir turn towards the rest of the table.

“Oh, we’re just talking about our never-ending quest to find someone for you.”

“You need to consult with my sister. She’s doing the same thing.”

Everyone laughs and another hour goes by. Villanelle enjoys the stories everyone shares and feels pleased that she can contribute to the conversation. Eve rests her hand on Villanelle’s thigh and Villanelle covers it with her own, bringing it to her lips and kissing it.

“Are you ready to leave, babe? I’m missing Billie and she might be hungry by now,” Eve whispers, turning her face towards her wife’s ear.

“Sure,” Villanelle replies. 

After taking a group photo and saying goodbye to everyone, Villanelle grabs Eve’s shopping bags in one hand and Eve’s hand in the other, guiding her to the car. She buckles Eve in and places the bags in the backseat with her own before getting into the driver’s seat and starting the car. As they pull out of the parking lot, Eve removes Villanelle’s right hand from the gear and places it in her lap, caressing it with her thumb.

“Babe?”

“Mmm?”

“Were you okay when you went to the restroom?”

“No. I was feeling jealous.”

“Of David?”

“Yes.”

“I could tell. I wanted to follow you but Aisha kept talking.”

“You never mentioned him to me?”

“We dated for one year and I really wanted to make it work since he checked off boxes I thought my parents would approve of. When I realized I couldn’t marry him because I wasn’t physically attracted to him, I had to cut it off. For his sake and my own.”

“Do you think he’s still attracted to you?”

“I think we’ll always have a soft spot for each other. We were each other’s first loves. But he knows how happy I am with you and he would never try to ruin that and neither would I.”

“You don’t need to convince me, Eve.”

“I’m just reminding you.”

“Okay, I appreciate that.”

“You don’t have to feel insecure or jealous even though I understand those feelings. I’m in love with you and that won’t change.”

“Do you still get jealous?”

“Of seeing you with other people? All the time.”

“But they aren’t my exes?”

“Yeah, but people flirt with you a lot and it sometimes makes me feel uncomfortable.”

“Even though you know how I feel about you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I want you to myself. I don’t want to share you with others, not even your attention.”

“Oh.” Villanelle’s cheeks redden and she tries to not think about her rapidly increasing feelings of arousal.

“You didn’t know that?”

“No, I did. Sometimes it feels good to be reminded.” Villanelle quickly glances at Eve. The apprehensive look surprises Eve since she feels like she has told (and shown) her wife many times how much she loves her.

“I’ll just have to remind you then,” Eve replies, her voice dropping as she shifts her body and presses her lips against Villanelle’s cheek.

“Tonight?” Villanelle doesn’t try to hide her excitement and Eve laughs as she drags her lips across her knuckles, staining her skin with a small series of kisses.

“Yes. Maybe even earlier depending on what Omma and Billie are up to.”

“You’re going to make me crash the car,” Villanelle smirks.

“Thank you for meeting my college friends, baby. That meant a lot to me.”

“Thank you for introducing me. That meant a lot to me, too.”

“I bought you a Yale sweatshirt. You can wear that to the next hang-out and you’ll blend right in. I bought Billie a cute Yale onesie, too.”

“Would you want her to go to Yale?”

“I wouldn’t mind. I think she would love the environment. The campus is beautiful. I loved my experience there.”

“We’ll see what happens then but we can add that to her list of potential colleges.”

“You’re making me feel even more aroused, talking about Billie’s future. You’re so sexy when you’re planning things for her.”

“Even more aroused?”

“You didn’t see me blushing at the restaurant?”

“I thought it was because of something David said to you.”

“No! You gave me this look that made me want to throw you across the table and rip your clothes off.”

“I did???”

“You don’t remember?”

“No?”

“So you weren’t trying to flirt with me??”

Villanelle grins and squeezes her wife’s hand. “I’ll always try to flirt with you but in that moment I think I was upset with David touching your kneecap.”

“Oh my god, that’s what the look was about. I’m such an idiot.”

“No, you’re not.”

Villanelle pulls into the driveway and waits for Eve to exit the car. They go inside and deposit their bags near the stairwell before finding Omma reading to Billie on the couch.

“Guess who Oksana met, Omma?,” Eve asks, taking Billie from her mother’s arms after washing her hands at the kitchen sink and hanging up her outwear.

“Who?”

“David.”

“David was there? He still hasn’t gotten married yet?”

“Yes and no.”

“David was head over heels for Eve.”

“I heard,” Villanelle grins, standing in the kitchen and boiling water for tea.

“I always knew it would never last but I think Eve’s father was clueless. I didn’t want to be the one to break it to him.”

“You knew me and David wouldn’t work out?”

“Mother’s intuition. You and Oksana have that with Billie and you don’t even realize it.”

“I hope so. If I’m as good of a mother to her as you were to me, I’d have done my job.”

“You’re the best, babe,” Villanelle states, leaving two cups of mint tea in front of Eve and Omma and walking back to the kitchen to get her cup of Earl Grey.

“You’re not too bad yourself, Oksana,” Omma teases, patting the empty space on the couch next to her. “Oksana knows three Korean lullabies by heart now. She learned them from me these last few days.”

“I’m not surprised. We’re going to teach Billie Korean and Russian. Maybe some Italian and French.”

“Make sure you start speaking to her now then. She’ll pick it up very quickly.” Omma stands up with her cup after announcing she’s going upstairs to take a nap.

Villanelle finishes her tea and takes Billie from Eve after she finishes feeding. She throws her legs on top of the coffee table and Billie moves around against her chest, gurgling and waving her legs and arms energetically.

“I missed you today, sidekick,” Villanelle whispers, her fingers smoothing out her daughter’s hair. Eve sighs and leans against Villanelle, wrapping her arm around her waist, below Billie’s feet.

“Did you miss us, too?” Billie looks up at Villanelle and smiles, spit falling from her mouth and onto Villanelle’s sweater.

“We got you a really cute onesie, baby,” Eve says, reaching for Billie’s right hand. Billie turns her face so she is facing Eve and grabs her fingers, bringing them to her mouth and sucking on them.

“I didn’t show you the New Haven one I got for her.”

“You got her a onesie as well?”

“Yes. It’s really colourful. She will like it.”

“Do you even buy anything for yourself anymore, baby?”

“I don’t need to. Buying things for Billie and for you gives me the same sense of happiness.”

“You got something for me?”

“A travel candle to add to your collection,” Villanelle says, kissing Billie’s forehead.

Eve smiles and thinks of all the candles her wife has purchased for her during her travels away from home. “I can’t wait to light it.”

When Villanelle turns to her wife to respond, she notices Eve has fallen asleep. “Me neither,” she whispers and sighs contentedly, prying Billie’s fingers off of Eve’s so she can remain undisturbed. 

“This has been the best Christmas of my life, baby,” Villanelle says to Billie and Billie nods as if in agreement.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve and Aisha have a funny conversation about Villanelle after the reunion. Eve and Villanelle exchange gifts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The necklace Eve gives to Villanelle is like this one: https://lepapierstudio.com/collections/silhouette-necklaces/products/full-body-silhouette-necklace-family

Same day, 4:27PM

“Hi lover,” Eve whispers, her voice still thick from sleep, as she stretches next to Villanelle on the couch. 

“Hi yourself.” Villanelle puts down her book when Eve slips her hand around her neck and pulls her head forward for a kiss. 

“You smell yummy, like mint.”

“I made mint tea after putting Billie down for a nap.”

“How long was I sleeping for?”

“A little over an hour.”

“Billie and I were practicing her crawling on the floor and I took some good photos with your phone. Oh and Aisha texted and also left you a voicemail.”

“What did she text?”

“See you for yourself,” Villanelle grins, handing Eve her phone.

Aisha: Since Samir and I missed your wedding due to work and the photos you’ve sent to me of O have not done her any justice, let me just say for the record and on behalf of the rest of our friends: she is fucking H-O-T. If college me had known you would end up with a model, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time worrying about you.

Eve turns to Villanelle laughing. “I knew she’d love you but I didn’t know she’d fall in love with you.”

“I’ll just have to remind her I’m off-limits and property of Eve,” Villanelle laughs against Eve’s mouth.

Eve pulls away and texts Aisha back: I know, right? I wouldn’t have wasted all that time crying and wondering if I was going to be alone forever. Wish I had met her before Niko, though. Can you imagine?

Aisha: Her description of him is too funny, “Moustache.” Well, now you can really appreciate her after being stuck with him for all those years. Right?

Eve: Yeah. She says hi, btw.

Aisha: Omg. Please tell me you didn’t show her the text.

Eve: Oops.

Aisha: E!!!! I’m so embarassed!!!

Eve: Don’t be, she loves having her ego stroked.

Aisha: I’m sure she loves having many things stroked ;-D

Eve: Omg. You’re horrible. That made me cringe. Glad your humour hasn’t changed.

Aisha: You love me.

Eve: Forever. Speaking of which, I need to send you this photo of Oksana and Billie from earlier. She was reading her that book “I’ll love you forever, as long as I’m living...” and was wearing that hands-free wrap and I swear my ovaries exploded... *attaches image*

Aisha: Holy shit....

Eve: I know;P

Aisha: That should be a magazine cover and re: ovaries! Are you thinking of having another???

Eve: I think so...seeing her with Billie is already too much but I would love seeing her parent two babies. She’s so attentive and so loving.

Aisha: Does Oksana want another?

Eve: Definitely. And I don’t think it’s only because Omma said something to her about it, she genuinely wants another. It’s so cute, she got her a New Haven onesie! I can’t wait to see her lecturing boys (or girls?) interested in dating Billie. She’ll probably pretend to be scary and intimidating but secretly be happy that Billie is happy.

Aisha: Overprotective Oksana is a mood. I remember you telling me about how she was during your pregnancy and how she literally growled at that guy in the grocery store for touching your belly without your consent. Who still does that? Ew.

Eve: The look on his face before he ran for his actual life. I swear she was thinking about killing him with her credit card. I only remember that because I thanked her later for being so chivalrous.

Aisha: I can’t even imagine how hot your sex life is. Mine is the complete opposite since we’re trying so hard for a baby and the pressure is on but you know I love Samir as goofy and ridiculous as he can be sometimes. That’s my baby!

Eve: You and Samir are perfect. He’s going to be a great dad. And you’re going to be a great mother. I can’t wait to be godmother.

Aisha: I miss you. I wish you would move back home.

Eve: I know. Maybe we will one day, after Billie finishes high school and gets into Yale (fingers crossed).

Aisha: That would be great. Hey, I didn’t say anything upsetting when I was bringing up David, did I? I hope Oksana wasn’t mad about it. I forgot to ask you.

Eve: She was a little jealous but we talked about it in the car. Sometimes I forget that she needs affirmation of how much I care about her and love her and I do too. I’m glad you teased about it because it helped us communicate openly.

Aisha: Okay, good. Samir wants to go ice skating tomorrow, if you and O want to join? I think David might be heading to RI but I can ask him, too.

Eve: I’ll find out what our schedule looks like. It’d be great to see you one more time before we have to leave. Maybe we’ll find David someone at the rink?

Aisha: Haha. We can only hope. Let me know. Ttys. Love.

Eve: I will. Say hi to Samir. Love.

When Eve looks up from her phone, she spots her wife in the kitchen, taking items out of the cupboard and fridge and setting them on the counter for her tasty vegan miso ramen dish.

“Sorry, baby. I lost track of time. Aisha and I were just talking about some things. She invited us to go ice skating tomorrow with Samir.”

“That’s okay. What did you tell her?”

“I said maybe.”

“We’ll see what Omma‘s plans are but that would be fun. I like ice skating.”

“When did you learn?”

“When I was being trained by Dasha. I killed someone with an ice skate once, have I told you that story yet?.”

“No, I didn’t know about that! Tell me more, I’m intrigued and obviously impressed.” Eve sits down on one of the kitchen counter stools and eats a candy cane shaped sugar cookie while Villanelle starts talking and washing the vegetables.

The rest of the evening, Eve helps Villanelle prepare dinner before everyone eats together on the couch and watches “Home Alone.” After Omma and Billie go upstairs, Villanelle pulls a present out from beneath the tree and hands it to Eve after Eve hands her a wrapped box.

“Open yours first,” Eve says.

Villanelle unwraps the box and finds a silhouette necklace inside. She pulls the necklace out of the box and holds the pendant piece in her hands. Within a dainty silver box are three people, two adults and a baby. One of the adults is holding the baby and the other adult is looking down at both the adult and child. “This is based on a photo…two months after Billie was born.”

“Yes.”

“It’s so beautiful. Thank you, baby. Can you help me put it in on?”

“I know how much you miss us when you leave home so maybe this will help with some of the missing.”

“It’s perfect.” Villanelle raises her head to kiss Eve as Eve stands above her and tightens the clasp of the necklace before taking her phone and snapping a photo of Villanelle smiling.

“I’m going to open mine now,” Eve says, sitting back down on the couch. When she opens her gift, she is speechless. Beneath the newspaper wrapping paper (“Because actual wrapping paper is harmful to the environment!,” Villanelle informed her when they went shopping for gifts a few weeks ago) is a Sony RX 100 Premium Compact Camera.

“You’re always taking photos so I thought you’d like a digital camera that you can carry around easily,” Villanelle smiles, appreciating the astonishment on her wife’s flustered face.

“Baby. This camera is too much!”

“You don’t want it?,” Villanelle’s forehead creases and she tries to figure out Eve’s emotions.

“Oh, I want it. But you didn’t need to spend so much money. I know how much this camera costs…,” Eve examines the camera and quickly flips through the manual, unable to contain the excitement thrumming through her body over the photos she will take.

“It doesn’t matter to me. I want to spoil you and Billie, always.”

“I love you. Thank you. This is the nicest gift I’ve ever received.”

“What? What about my love? And the mind-blowing sex? And Billie?” 

“Oh,” Eve laughs, setting the camera down and turning away from the coffee table to face her wife.

“I almost forgot about all of those,” Eve peppers Villanelle’s face with kisses and yelps when her wife’s hands wander to her neck and lower back.

“You can bring that with you to the bedroom if you like.”

“OH. So that’s why you chose this gift. It all makes sense. You’re so bad.”

“Like the big, bad wolf?”

“Exactly.”

“Come upstairs with me. This wolf is hungry.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because you love me.”

“I can’t argue with that.” Eve walks behind Villanelle up the stairs and smacks her ass in jest, causing Villanelle to stop walking at the top. 

“Who is being the wolf now?,” Villanelle whispers, eyes grazing over Eve’s throat as she pins her to the wall outside her room. Eve ducks beneath her arms and pulls her into the room, laughter streaming from her lips like sea foam.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A home invader makes the mistake of breaking into Eve's mother's home while Villanelle and Eve are upstairs in their bedroom.  
> Villanelle (no need to refer to her as "Dark" since there's always a glimmer of her assassin-like tendencies lingering beneath the surface and ready to emerge whenever appropriate or not) and Dark Eve introduce themselves to the attacker and he regrets ever coming in contact with the two idiots in love. Villanelle gets hurt and Eve gives her pain medication, causing her to fall asleep during sex. Villanelle is horrified and Eve is deeply amused...until it happens to her.
> 
> PS While it is not explicitly mentioned in any of the chapters, Eve's mother gives Villanelle a notebook filled with her husband's handwritten recipes for her Christmas gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RE: Dark Villaneve versus home invader - Villanelle's weapon of choice? A hairpin. Eve's weapon of choice? An incredibly large frying pan. Choose your fighter and place bets on who you think will beat the guy's ass.
> 
> Holiday fatigue is real and so is pandemic fatigue. Take care of yourselves. Be kind. Do something that makes you happy today. Walk outside. Create. Watch a favorite movie.
> 
> Thanks for reading and appreciating this fic if you're still following along! If you want to read a fic where Villanelle and Eve take a trip down memory lane and recall this specific holiday experience, check out my other piece titled "Seasons of Love."
> 
> When Eve and Villanelle are lying in bed, they are listening to The Cure, "Just Like Heaven" and are singing along.   
> Lyrics:  
> Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick  
> The one that makes me scream she said  
> The one that makes me laugh she said  
> Threw her arms around my neck  
> Show me how you do it and I'll promise you  
> I'll promise that I'll run away with you, I'll run away with you  
> Spinning on that dizzy edge  
> Kissed her face and kissed her head  
> Dreamed of all the different ways, I had to make her glow  
> Why are you so far away she said  
> Why won't you ever know that I'm in love with you?  
> That I'm in love with you?  
> You, soft and only, you lost and lonely  
> You, strange as angels  
> Dancing in the deepest oceans  
> Twisting in the water  
> You're just like a dream  
> You're just like a dream  
> Daylight licked me into shape  
> I must have been asleep for days  
> And moving lips to breathe her name  
> I opened up my eyes  
> And found myself alone, alone, alone above a raging sea  
> That stole the only girl I loved and drowned her deep inside of me  
> You soft and only  
> You lost and lonely  
> You just like heaven

The next day…(early evening)

After sleeping in and a fun afternoon of ice skating (and a sore ass to prove it), Eve feeds Billie before Omma takes her to a church friend’s house for dinner. Eve and Villanelle are lying in bed after eating, sharing headphones, listening to Villanelle's holiday playlist and singing along (specifically The Cure's "Just Like Heaven") when both of them hear glass breaking from downstairs. Villanelle’s entire body stills and she quickly throws on the Yale sweatshirt and wiggles back into her sweatpants.

“Don’t move,” she whispers, reaching into her toiletry bag and pulling out a hairpin. She quickly throws her hair up into a bun and slides the hairpin in its middle.

“I’m coming with you, don’t be stupid!,” Eve screeches in a whisper.

“This is not the time!! Stay in here and call the police.” Villanelle slips out the room and disappears down the stairs. Eve grabs her phone and calls 9-1-1.

Villanelle spots a masked figure bending down beneath the Christmas tree when she reaches the bottom of the stairs. Before he can even hear her sneak up behind him, she pounces. She pulls the back of his mask so that his circulation is cut off and pulls him away from the tree. “What are you doing in my house, you piece of actual SHIT?,” she roars. The man tries to turn but is unsuccessful. Villanelle quickly drags him to the front door after whispering in his ear that she is a trained assassin and could kill him in less than five seconds if she wanted to but she doesn’t want to bloody up her carpet. After Villanelle opens the door, she drags the man outside, twisting the back of his mask so that now he is gasping for air. She is just about to remove her hairpin when she hears Eve yell out from behind her. 

“GET BACK INSIDE!,” Villanelle screams, making eye contact with Eve who is rapidly approaching her and wielding a frying pan. The second Villanelle turns her head, the man stomps down on her foot. She loses her balance but pulls him to the ground with her, trying to unsuccessfully grab the hairpin. 

The man turns around and pulls his fist back, his hand connecting with Villanelle’s eye. Eve runs towards the man who is now straddling Villanelle and smashes the pan against his skull as hard as she can. He grunts and slumps forward. Villanelle pushes him off of her in disgust and watches Eve place one knee against his throat with the other knee squeezing the top of his head. She pats him down for any weapons before leaning forward, clenching her teeth: “You do not get to come to our house and fuck up our holiday and assault my wife and get away with it, do you understand?” Before the man can nod, three police cruisers pull up and Eve backs away from the man and the blood-stained snow. The man is handcuffed and hauled into one of the cars. Eve helps Villanelle up and examines her injuries. The skin around her eye is starting to bruise and her lip is bleeding from where she bit down on it. After providing statements to the police, turning down the offer for an ambulance, and being promised that their house would be under surveillance for the rest of the evening by a patrol car, the two walk back inside with Villanelle leaning on Eve.

“Are you okay? Here, lie down on the couch and let me board up the back door window.”

“It’s alright, let me do it and I’ll lie down after.” Villanelle grabs a piece of wood from the basement and comes back upstairs with a hammer and some nails, her head pounding. After cleaning up the glass from the floor and boarding up the broken window, she makes a note to call an alarm company the next day to set up an alarm system.

“Baby, please, come over here. I’ve made you some hot water with lemon and ginger, I got you an ice pack for your eye, some painkillers, and a plate of leftovers in case you’re hungry after all of that superhero action.”

Villanelle walks over to the couch and sits down, wincing in pain. She eats the plate of food and takes two pills, swallowing them down with water. 

“I’m sorry for not listening to you but I couldn’t stand around upstairs and do nothing.”

“I know.”

“Are you okay?”

“I was so scared for you. What if something had happened to you? That’s why I wanted you to stay upstairs and be safe.”

“I know why you wanted me to stay upstairs, because you love me. But I love you, too. And we’re a team, remember?”

Villanelle shakes her head and leans it against the couch cushion. Eve places the ice pack gingerly over her eye and grimaces at the whimper Villanelle releases.

“That annoyingly large frying pan came in handy, huh?”

Eve smiles at her wife’s secret appreciation for jumbo sized kitchenware and kisses her on the cheek. “It was the only thing I could find. I didn’t want to use a gun.”

“Me neither. But if Billie and Omma were here, I definitely would have.”

“I know. I would have, too.”

“I really didn’t want them to come back to a bloody crime scene and be traumatized…”

“I know.”

“You saved me.”

“I almost didn’t. He punched you because I distracted you.”

“You were just trying to help.”

“I still feel guilty.”

“Don’t. I’m going to call a company tomorrow to have an alarm system installed but I think we should ask Omma to move to England.”

“I would love if she moved. I called her while you were doing the window and asked her to stay at Aunt Christine’s for the night with Billie. I didn’t tell her about what happened yet. I don’t want to ruin her evening. The police officer mentioned that there were a series of neighborhood break-ins recently. It’s just a scary thought. What if Billie and Omma had been downstairs?”

Eve starts to cry and Villanelle wraps one arm around her, kissing the top of her forehead. “Thankfully they weren’t and thankfully we’re okay.”

“You were so brave.”

“Now I have to think of you and Billie, not just myself. The adrenaline kicked in and I haven’t felt that before, not with any of my previous assignments.”

“I’m really glad you’re okay. I don’t know what we would do without you.”

“You would survive. Look at you, disarming intruders with pans.”

“Baby…”

“It’s true. Your maternal instincts were revved up tonight and let me tell you, it was very sexy to watch you kneel on that ugly man’s throat and scold him.” 

Eve wipes away her tears, blows her nose, and looks up at her wife. “It was?”

“Yep,” Villanelle replies, popping the p and moving her hand below Eve’s t-shirt until her fingers lazily trace the underside of Eve’s left breast.

“Really, now? Are you sure you’re not in too much pain?”

“I can’t feel the pain right now. The medication is working. I really want to have sex with you.”

“How about we go upstairs and you lie down and let me take care of you and you can do whatever you want to me when you’re feeling better?” 

Villanelle groans and pulls Eve in for a passionate kiss before Eve takes her ice pack and her hand and leads her slowly up the stairs and to her room. 

“Lie back, I added some extra pillows so you don’t have to put additional pressure on your neck or head. Don’t remove your top. I’m just going to remove your pants, okay?”

Villanelle nods weakly, her head already swimming with Eve’s plans. She leans back and places the ice pack on the bedside table so it doesn’t interrupt her line of sight as Eve kisses up the length of both of her thighs and settles in between her legs. 

“Fuck me…,” Villanelle mumbles, wincing as she accidentally bites down on her bruised bottom lip. Grabbing the sheets with both hands, she arches her back slightly and her hips buck forward, meeting Eve’s face. The last thing she remembers is the intense orgasm that hits her body like a wave, making her cry out, a whine of pleasure and of pain.

The next morning…(afternoon)

11:31am

“Baby?” 

Villanelle opens her eyes slowly to see Eve leaning over her with a glass of water and two pills.

“What happened?,” Villanelle mumbles, her throat dry as she sits up and leans back against the headboard.

“You fell asleep during sex.”

“What?!”

“The medication worked which is a good thing. Side effect is drowsiness.”

Villanelle groans and closes her eyes.

“Babe, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Eve tries to say with solemnity before Villanelle catches her trying not to laugh.

“I have never, ever done that before,” Villanelle grumbles, taking the water and the pills.

“No, you haven’t.”

“This is strong medication.”

“Very.”

“An ugly man sat on me and punched me in my beautiful face.”

“He did, I saw it, and you do have a very beautiful face.”

“I should have killed him with the hairpin.”

“And waste a perfectly good hairpin? I think what happened is cute. You were so tired from defending your family. My knight. So. Fucking. Hot.” Eve slips one of her legs in between Villanelle’s and rests her palms against the space on the wall above her headboard so that Villanelle’s eyes are level with her chest. She leans down and kisses Villanelle on the lips, running her tongue over the bottom one.

“You’re going to make me come just by doing that,” Villanelle whispers, her hands moving across the length of Eve’s back, beneath her t-shirt. Villanelle slides her t-shirt up and leans forward, kissing both of Eve’s breasts and gently nibbling down. 

“Let’s wait until later, there’s no rush,” Eve gasps. “I want you to recover.”

“Does my face look bad?,” Villanelle asks, not bothering to argue with her very intelligent and practical wife. She watches Eve get off of her and sit next to her on the bed, taking her hand and kissing it.

“Yes.”

“Do you think Billie will be scared of it?”

“No.”

“Did you tell Omma what happened yet?”

“Not yet, I want to tell her in person. She’ll come home in about two hours. I’m going to make us some brunch and bring it upstairs, okay?”

“I’m going to brush my teeth and take a bath then. I want to get ugly man’s germs off of my skin.”

“Do you think you’ll need help with the bath, baby?”

“No, I’ll be okay. Thank you though.”

One hour later…

“This oatmeal is very tasty,” Villanelle says, swallowing the oatmeal from the spoon Eve is holding in front of her face and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“It was my dad’s recipe. He always made it for me and Omma during the winter.”

“He was a good cook, wasn’t he?”

“A great one. Just like you.”

“I hope so.”

Villanelle finishes the oatmeal and drinks the rest of her orange juice. “Thanks for feeding me, baby.”

“Thanks for defending me. I didn’t think we’d contribute to the capture of a serial holiday present thief during our visit here but…what a wild story that will be for when Billie is older, huh?”

“I’m so glad she wasn’t here. I would have lost my mind and 100% would have killed that man.”

“I know,” Eve says softly, bringing Villanelle’s head to her chest and stroking her freshly-shampooed hair. “And that would have been self-defense and perfectly fine.”

“Yes.”

Eve and Villanelle walk downstairs and watch holiday movies. When Villanelle falls in and out of sleep on the couch, Eve creeps away and double checks the windows, making sure each one is locked and covered by a heavy piece of furniture that could be an obstacle to anyone wanting to break in. She can’t shake off the feeling of paranoia that something else is going to happen so she also closes the blinds before organizing some of Billie’s toys. 

6 o’ clock PM…

“Eve? Oksana? I’m sorry I’m late, Aunt Christine wanted me and Billie to stay a little longer with her,” Omma calls out after locking the front door behind her. Eve and Villanelle respond and get off the couch. Eve walks in front of Villanelle, taking Billie from her mother who quickly cries out when she notices Oksana’s face.

“What happened???”

Eve sits down in the living room and changes Billie while Villanelle sits down next to her mother at the kitchen counter and talks to her in a hushed voice. Villanelle occasionally glances back at Eve as she feeds Billie and can feel a tightness in her stomach over Billie’s potential response to her face.

Omma gives Villanelle a new ice pack and bustles around the kitchen with a worried expression after checking the back door. 

“You and Eve should not have tried to attack that man. He could have really harmed you two!”

“He didn’t, Omma, we’re fine.”

“You’re not fine. Look at your eye. What if he had smashed your head and put you into a coma?”

“He didn’t.”

“Yes, well, I would have done that to him if I had been here,” Omma curtly responds, her brow furrowed.

Villanelle notices the tears in her eyes and she stands up and approaches her mother-in-law, pulling her in for a hug. “It’s okay, Omma. We’re fine. Look, you can even pinch me and I’ll make a sound. I’m alive. Your daughter was a badass. She saved me with the frying pan you own that cooks enough food for ten people.”

“I wish I could have seen that,” Omma laughs, wiping away her tears. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you two. My two daughters.”

Villanelle blinks away her tears and appreciates the sentiment of her mother-in-law’s remarks. “Sit. Let me make you some tea.”

“No, you’re the one with the injured face.”

“Omma, don’t offend me now, this body might be bruised but it is more than capable of making tea for the world’s best mother-in-law and mother and grandmother,” Villanelle kisses her on the forehead and watches the older woman sit down at the kitchen counter. Eve sits down next to her mother wearing Billie in her snug hands-free wrap.

“Are you okay?,” Eve asks, resting her hand on top of her mother’s.

“I’m still shaken up.”

“Omma, we’re going to have a security system installed. Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

“But we want you to move to England so you can be closer to us and to Billie…,” Eve adds gently, knowing how much her mother values her independence.

“I would not mind. I want to see her grow up. I don’t want to miss out.”

“Would you want to live with us? We would love to have you move into our house,” Villanelle asks, setting a mug of rose tea in front of her.

Eve quirks an eyebrow, surprised at her wife’s question but overjoyed at her intentions.

“No, no. I don’t want to do that. I love you all but I need my own space, too.”

“We can start looking for a place for you then that will be close to ours,” Villanelle sits down next to Eve and bends down to look at Billie. 

“Hey, she’s not crying,” she whispers as Billie reaches for her. “Come here, stinky, but not really because your omma changed you, thank God and all the angels,” Villanelle says and eagerly removes Billie from the wrap. “I missed you last night. You should have seen me in action. You would have been very proud that Mom Number One and Mom Number Two took down a very ugly man in a very scratchy ski mask who was trying to steal our presents. Rude, right?? I was going to stab him but Mom Number One slammed a frying pan into his head and scrambled his brains so he fell onto the snow. It was very, very sexy of her.” Villanelle walks towards the tree so Billie can play with the ornaments. Eve turns her head to look back at them and she feels her heart expand with love.

“Eve.”

“Yes, Omma?”

“Oksana must be careful. She could have been stabbed or shot…”

“I know. She was trying to protect me.”

“I just worry, you know, with her previous line of work…she’s not invincible.”

“I worry about that as well, Omma. She’s not reckless, though.”

“No, she isn’t.”

“She’s worried about you. She’s going to call an alarm company in awhile and see if they can install something before we leave. But the sooner you move, the better. You really want to move, right? You’re not just saying this to appease us?”

“Of course not. Being with you and Oksana and Billie these last few days have made me feel alive. I haven’t felt that way ever since your father passed. I do enjoy seeing our relatives and spending time with my friends from church but you three are my family.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t come home more after I started working, Omma.”

“I know how busy you were. And I know how much Niko didn’t like to travel…”

“Yeah, but that’s not an excuse. I could have come alone and stayed with you.”

“Baby, he would argue with you over your work schedule. If you had visited me alone, he would have been calling the house to yell and scream.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Everything happens for a reason, this is what your father would always say to me. I believe your marriage to Niko happened so you could find Oksana and she could find you. Even though it took you a lot longer to realize she was the love of your life than it took her…” Eve’s mother chuckles and Eve’s eyes widen.

“What do you mean?”

“Oksana visited me after she shot you in Rome.”

“What?!”

“She came to apologize and to ask me for my forgiveness.”

“Oh my god. She never told me about that. I spent so much time hating her and being angry with her after Rome.”

“I think you hated yourself. I don’t think you ever hated her.”

“She actually came to this house? She didn’t break in, did she?” Eve smiles, a nervous laugh tumbling over her lips.

“No. She was waiting for me at the front door when I came back from church. She had flowers in one hand and chocolates in the other. I thought you had hired someone to send me a surprise delivery of goodies. But then she started to speak to me in Korean and said your name so I invited her in and we had tea and I realized then how much she loved you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That situation was between you two, not me and you. I think you needed to figure it out on your own otherwise if I had said anything, you might have felt pressure to act.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t know about this.” Eve groans and rests her forehead against her palms.

“Lovers hide things from lovers all the time. To protect them. To help them. To care for them.”

“How did you move on, Omma, after dad died? What kept you going?”

“You.”

“Really?”

“Yes, of course. You’re my baby. That will never change. What was that quote from the book your dad used to read to you?" "I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be." "Yes. You'll always be my baby and now your wife and Billie are my babies." 

“I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to Oksana. I think I would die from a broken heart.”

“I thought I would after dad passed but here I am. And you, Oksana, Billie, each of you gives me a reason to wake up every day. So moving closer would be the best holiday present I could receive.”

“We would love that. Oksana would love that. She praises you all the time. I wish she had grown up with a mother like you.”

“Hm. But she might not have become the person you love today, right?”

“Good point. Maybe not. Maybe we would not have even met if she had another mother…I don’t even want to think about that possibility. Aisha loves her, of course.”

“Aisha’s a good girl. I’m glad you stayed in touch with her.”

“Stop that,” Villanelle says, brow furrowed, as Billie yanks on Eve’s hair from behind.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind at all. Do I, B? Come here. I could just eat you up.” Villanelle reaches over Eve’s head and places Billie on her lap.

“Omma, I’m going to call the security company now, is that okay?”

“Yes. I’m just going to take a bath. Oh, Ki kept asking me where you two were and then wanted me to play dinosaurs-dinosaurs with him?”

“You’ve turned him into an Oksana addict, baby,” Eve laughs.

“I love him,” Villanelle says wistfully, slipping into the seat her mother-in-law just vacated and dialing the number of the security company. 

Eve takes Billie to the couch and crawls around with her on the carpet before placing her in the rocker and reading to her. Villanelle joins her a few minutes later.

“They can be here tomorrow morning at ten so I said fine. I’ll go out and buy an alarm security bar for each of the doors just so we can be safe tonight.”

“Do you want me to come with you? I can go, baby. Why don’t you stay here and rest.”

“No, it’s okay. I need to take a drive and refresh my mind anyway.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Stay here with Omma and our baby. I’ll see you in an hour.” Villanelle kisses Eve and then goes upstairs to change into her Yale sweatshirt and a clean pair of jeans. Eve misses her the second she hears the door close. She lies down on the couch and watches Billie sleeping, in love with her small lips and her long eyelashes.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, kid, but I sure as hell know how lucky I am,” Eve whispers, reaching down and rubbing her daughter’s full belly. When she leans back down on the couch, she pulls out her phone and grins at the text message that pops up.

V: Don’t miss me too much. 

Eve: Are you texting me and driving?!

V: I was at a red light.

Eve: And now??

V: Another one.

Eve: Not funny. 

V: Using speech-to-text, baby.

Eve: Oh. I forget how tech-savvy you are. What a turn on. *fans face*

V: Dot dot dot.

Eve: Dot dot dot what?

V: That’s not fair.

Eve: ?

V: Don’t talk about being turned on when I’m pulling into the parking lot of a hardware store and you’re all the way back home.

Eve: Guess you’ll just have to hurry back (safely) then, won’t you? 

V: Uh huh. I need to make it up to you for falling asleep.

Eve: It’s really not that big of a deal, baby. Seriously.

V: It is to me.

Eve: Okay, fine. If you want to make it up to me, just come back soon and safely. Billie and I miss you.

V: Miss you too. See you soon. x.

Eve: It’s a date.

Villanelle strolls into the house two hours later, two security bars in one hand and a carrier with two soy lattes in the other.

“We missed you, baby,” Eve says, walking over to Villanelle and inhaling the fresh air against her skin before giving her a kiss. “Dinner is on the counter, I made you a plate. Omma is already upstairs in her room and she and Billie say goodnight.”

“I missed you. Let me lower my voice so baby doesn’t wake up.” Villanelle says, spotting the baby monitor in Eve’s hand. She hangs up her coat and shoves her hat and gloves inside the pocket before following Eve to the couch. She puts her legs on the coffee table and Eve drapes her legs over hers.

“Thank you for this coffee. I needed it.”

“It’s been a busy few days and I think both of us needed something to keep us going tonight.”

Eve almost chokes on her latte when she eyes the smoldering look on her wife’s face. “Baby,” Eve says when she has calmed down, “you do not need caffeine to stay up. Trust me. You’re like the energizer bunny. I can remember multiple occasions where you’ve given me so many orgasms that it should have been considered sinful. I don’t know where your energy comes from but you do not lack in that department.” Eve tries to look sexy as she gestures towards her wife’s lower half.

“You’re very cute when you’re trying to explain something with your hands,” Villanelle grins. She easily slips her hand behind Eve’s head, gently grabbing the hair, and pushes their faces together. 

“You taste good.”

“So do you.”

Eve clears her throat when she pulls away and leans into the side of the couch, tensing her leg muscles over her wife’s so she can move a bit closer to her. “Omma told me something interesting today.”

“Yeah?”

“She said you visited her after Rome.”

“Yes,” Villanelle replies honestly. “I shot you. I needed to apologize to her. I didn’t want her to be upset with me.”

“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“You don’t think it’s weird? Like…something a freak would do?”

“You’re not a freak! Or a monster. Please stop thinking of yourself in that way or thinking I would think of you in that way.”

“I felt really guilty after I shot you. I didn’t realize how much you meant to me until Konstantin told me you were still alive. I knew then that I had to meet your mother and introduce myself so that she wouldn’t hear about me from moustache and think I was a horrible person.”

“I wish you had told me then even though looking back now, I should have realized you were sending me signs. The teddy bear, the birthday cake…”

“I didn’t want to scare you away. If I had told you, you would have thought I was a monster who was stalking your mother.”

“No.”

“You’re saying no in hindsight. You were very angry then. Justifiably so. I regret shooting you.”

“I know. You’ve apologized many times and shown me how sorry you are. I stabbed you, remember?”

“Yes.”

“Baby, you literally have the biggest heart of anyone I know and you’re passing along all of your compassion and empathy to Billie. And I couldn’t be more proud to call you mine. I really do want another baby with you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Omma will have her hands full when she moves next door to us. She will be the coolest grandmother around,” Villanelle’s wide smile is covered by her coffee cup as she leans her head back and swallows the last drops of it.

“Do you want to go upstairs?,” she asks, running her hand down the length of Eve’s left leg. 

“I’d love to.” Eve leans forward and catches her wife’s lips between her own. She’s about to kiss her on the neck when Villanelle abruptly pulls away. 

“Time out. I need to put the security bars on the doors. Go upstairs, hotshot. I’ll be up in a second.”

“Oh my god. So rude,” Eve teases and pretends to grumble her way upstairs over the interruption even though she is smiling over her wife’s schemes to protect her family.

Twenty minutes later…

Villanelle bites down on her hand to prevent the laugh bubbling up in her chest from escaping her body. Her wife has fallen asleep on top of the bed in a very sexy mint green lingerie set. Villanelle silently mouths a wow as her eyes remain on Eve’s full breasts before shifting down the rest of her body.

“Oh, baby,” Villanelle mumbles, changing out of her clothes and slipping into her robe before gently moving Eve off the top of the covers and pulling them back over the both of them.

“I’m sorry, baby, I fell asleep. I was trying to stay up last night and monitor you in case you felt sick during the night so I’m really bloody exhausted,” Eve mumbles, backing her body up against her wife’s and pulling Villanelle’s arm around her belly.

“How could I forget caffeine makes you sleepy?,” Villanelle whispers, kissing the back of Eve’s neck and laughing simultaneously.

“I can’t believe this. I really want to have sex with you. Okay, let’s do it. Yesterday I took down ski mask man, today I should be able to have hot sex with my wife.”

Eve tries to turn around but Villanelle prevents her from doing so. “No, no. It’s okay. Stop moving. Let’s sleep.”

“Are we really boring now?”

“Very boring.”

“We’re sleeping at nine pm!”

“I’m sleeping, you’re talking.”

“You must be sleep-talking then,” Eve retorts indignantly, pulling Villanelle’s hand below her belly button so that it dips below her pelvic bone.

“What are you doing?,” Villanelle grins, kissing Eve’s neck again.

“I am doing nothing but you’re being very handsy.”

“Other-me, a.k.a you, is doing that.”

“So you’re not horny anymore?” 

Villanelle lifts her head and locks down at her wife’s pout. “Did you take some of my medication by accident?”

“No! But I might have had some wine when I was lying on the couch and missing you after putting Billie down to sleep in Omma’s room.”

“I’m not going to take advantage of you. You’re tipsy, babe. And even though I’m always aroused whenever you’re around, I don’t want to have sex with you right now. I want you to sleep and get some rest so we can have really good morning sex.”

“I like that. Promise?”

“Promise promise.”

“Can you do that figure eight thing with your tongue…”

“If you don’t stop talking, I will change my mind and make you orgasm until you’re speechless and you’ll wish you weren’t so tired because that will be less enjoyable, no?”

“WOW.” After huffing one more time, Eve promptly falls asleep, her small snores filling the silent room.

“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be,” Villanelle whisper-sings, repeating the quote from the children’s book Eve loves so much and falling asleep a few minutes later.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve makes up for the fact that she fell asleep before sex the night before with morning sex. Because of course she does. A sweet conversation about the future follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is short compared to the others in this piece but I really wanted to incorporate this song somehow and thought this scene would be painfully perfect for it. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Song for this scene: Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby - Cigarettes After Sex
> 
> Fan Edit Video featuring this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1j3IRILS2Q
> 
> Lyrics:  
> Whispered something in your ear  
> It was a perverted thing to say  
> But I said it anyway  
> Made you smile and look away  
> Nothing's gonna hurt you baby  
> As long as you're with me, you'll be just fine  
> Nothing's gonna hurt you baby  
> Nothing's gonna take you from my side  
> When we dance in my living room  
> To that silly '90s R&B  
> When we have a drink or three  
> Always ends in a hazy shower scene  
> Nothing's gonna hurt you baby  
> As long as you're with me, you'll be just fine  
> Nothing's gonna hurt you baby  
> Nothing's gonna take you from my side  
> And we laugh into the microphone and sing  
> With our sunglasses on, to our favorite songs  
> And we're laughing in the microphone and singing  
> With our sunglasses on, to our favorite songs  
> Nothing's gonna hurt you baby  
> Nothing's gonna take you from my side

Villanelle wakes up cold and gasping. She feels Eve before she sees her: she is draped over the bottom half of her body with the comforter behind her, bunched up and at the bottom of their bed. Villanelle’s gasp quickly turns into a groan as Eve’s tongue circles her clit. Before she can buck her hips and respond to the sensation, Eve slips two fingers inside of her, pumping them back and forth. After glancing up at Villanelle and winking, she dips her head back down and resumes using her tongue, her hair splayed across both of Villanelle’s thighs. For a second, Villanelle wishes they were back home in their soundproofed room so that the noises tumbling from her lips aren’t muffled as she bites down on the back of her hand and arches her back. Responding to her frantic movements, Eve quickly slips her arms beneath Villanelle’s thighs so that her legs are on either side of Eve’s shoulder blades. Villanelle knows she isn’t going to last long and she’s right. Her entire body tenses like taut wire and her thigh muscles clench above Eve’s shoulders. Grabbing the sheets with her hands, she lifts her head one more time to look down at Eve. She falls back against the pillow and her breaths come out in pants as rippling release runs through her quivering body like water.

“Good morning,” Eve says, her voice low and her pupils blown. She moves up the length of Villanelle’s body leaving kisses in her wake and Villanelle lifts her head to kiss her. One of her hands deftly removes Eve’s mint colored bra and her other hand removes her already soaked mint colored panties.

“Morning,” Villanelle mumbles, quickly flipping Eve onto her back. Eve grins devilishly and Villanelle’s mouth meets hers.

“Is this a competition now?,” Eve teases in between open-mouthed kisses.

Villanelle doesn’t reply, her lips consumed with Eve’s right nipple. She winces as Eve pulls on her hair before pushing her head closer to her skin. Villanelle’s nose is filled with Eve’s scent, a mixture of jasmine notes and sweat, and this intimate knowledge of her wife makes her feel powerful.

“If it is,” Villanelle replies, removing her head slightly above Eve’s chest to look at her in the eyes, “you’re always going to win.”

Eve’s eyes widen and she is about to compliment her wife’s seduction skills but her thoughts become instantly jumbled when Villanelle’s tongue latches onto her left nipple.

“Fuck,” Eve exclaims and her hips continue to thrust up against Villanelle’s thigh, leaving proof of her arousal against her skin. Villanelle grinds down and her palms press down against Eve’s hipbones. Eve hisses, dragging her fingers down the stairway of Villanelle’s spine and for a second she feels like she is free-falling and she stills. Villanelle’s body pushes into hers and she’s tumbling over the edge, her breaths staggering from her mouth and into her wife’s earlobe as she pulls Villanelle close to her, so close she can see the color variations in the bruise surrounding her eye.

“I love you,” Eve whimpers and Villanelle kisses a response back into her mouth before reaching behind her to grab the covers, rolling onto her back, and pulling Eve close to her. 

“That was...”

“Payback for falling asleep on you last night?,” Eve smirks, her fingers finding Villanelle’s and holding onto them above her navel.

“I was going to say the perfect alarm. But remember, I fell asleep on you first.”

“So it was a competition?”

“Both of us won,” Villanelle grins, still trying to slow down her breaths. 

“God, you’re so cocky.”

“And look where it’s gotten me. You and Billie.”

“Damn, you’re good with your words.” Eve pulls Villanelle’s hand up and kisses it.

“Are you warm enough?,” Villanelle asks, looking down at Eve.

“I’m still sweating but the covers feel nice so yes.” 

“I don’t want to leave tomorrow.”

“Me neither. I miss Omma already.”

“Me too. Should we start looking for a flat for her? She won’t want to move into a house because it will be too much for her to maintain. I think a two bedroom flat will be fine as long as it has a kitchen, large bathroom, and maybe a living room? I also want her building to be in a safe enclosure, maybe protected by a security gate?”

“Eve.”

“Yes?”

“I just thought of something.”

“Okay...”

“Why doesn’t she just move into the garden guesthouse?”

“She’d love that...why didn’t we think of that before?”

“We were too busy beating up the ugly man in the ugly mask?”

“Right,” Eve chuckles. “Did I tell you how brave you were?” 

“Mmm hmm. You can remind me again though.”

Villanelle’s eyes glint mischievously even as she kisses Eve softly on the forehead.

“Don’t worry, I will.”

“I need to order a bigger bed for this room.”

Eve laughs as she watches Villanelle’s eyes dart between the wall and the bedside table, knowing she is calculating the distance and trying to determine whether a queen will fit.

“No, you don’t. If Omma moves during the next month or two, she won’t need to hold onto the house.”

“You don’t want to rent it out? We can keep the house in the family for when Billie gets into Yale?”

“Good point...it is under Omma’s name so we can ask her what she would prefer. And are you really set on Billie going to Yale now?”

“I want her to go wherever she will be happy but I’d be happy if she got into Yale. Your friends are here, our relatives. She’d have a strong support system if we decided to stay in England, you know?”

“Yeah, she would. When did you think of all of this?”

“During my drive. Connecticut is beautiful. I didn’t have time to really look around when I visited your mother after Rome.”

“I still can’t believe you did that.”

“I’m really glad that I did. I think that’s when she knew I was going to be the best daughter-in-law.”

Eve beams at Villanelle’s satisfied expression and plants a kiss in between her breasts.

“What was that for?,” Villanelle asks, her body starting to heat up again.

“Your affection for my mother. It’s a real turn on.” Eve lets go of Villanelle’s hand and moves her hand between Villanelle’s legs.

“So you’ve said,” Villanelle mumbles, eyes already half-closed as her body responds to Eve’s body and the words from one of their favorite songs flash through her mind like a neon sign:

"Whispered something in your ear  
It was a perverted thing to say  
But I said it anyway  
Made you smile and look away."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family attends a holiday festival. Villanelle is enamored by a holiday themed train. Eve shares more information about her dad. Billie pulls Santa's beard off, much to the dismay of everyone waiting in line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Activity ideas for the holiday festival are from this site: https://www.ctvisit.com/articles/follow-lights-holiday-cheer

Later that day…

“Are you okay, Omma? Are you warm enough?,” Villanelle sneaks a sideways glance at her mother-in-law sitting in the passenger seat. 

“I’m going to miss you all when you leave,” Omma replies, turning her head to look at Villanelle’s side profile.

“Omma, we talked about that this morning. You can live in the guesthouse. You won’t be far away from our house at all. We don’t want you to be,” Eve says quietly from the backseat, touching her mother’s shoulder.

Billie giggles loudly as Eve plays with her plush giraffe. 

“You wouldn’t mind that?”

“No, of course not. Omma, we want you to be there.”

“What if you have guests?”

“They can stay in the guest rooms. We have two of them, remember?,” Villanelle asserts, making a right into the parking lot of the plaza where the Holiday Lights activities will be taking place.

“We can talk more later, Omma.”

“Okay, let’s talk later at home. Do you need help, Oksana?” 

“No, I’m just putting on this carrier and I think she’s bundled up pretty well so she won’t feel too cold but if it she does, we can just stand around one of those fire pits. I looked up this event and there’ll be fire pits scattered around.”

“Sure you did,” Eve says, flashing a smile at Villanelle, secretly in love with the fact that Villanelle looks up everything about every event and records the information to memory so she can make sure everyone has a good time, especially Billie.

“I like being prepared,” Villanelle grins, taking Billie from her and commenting on how stylish her omma has made her look in her matching hat and gloves and navy puffer jacket covered in stars. 

“Will you fit inside of here, baby?,” Villanelle asks, scrunching up her eyebrows and kissing Billie’s cheeks.

“Hold on, let me help you.” Eve lifts Billie into the carrier strapped to Villanelle’s chest and makes sure its secured. “She’s a little snug but it’ll be okay. I have a blanket in the bag in case we need to drape it over her.”

“What about me?,” Villanelle replies, challenging Eve with a look. 

“I think you’ll be fine. Just pretend you’re angry at something and your body will heat up really fast,” Eve laughs, ignoring Villanelle’s pout and linking her arm with her mother’s. 

“Babe, do you have the tickets?,” Eve turns and calls back to Villanelle.

“They’re in my pocket.”

“Hold on, Omma,” Eve says. She walks back to Villanelle and Billie and reaches into Villanelle’s jacket pocket, smirking at Villanelle’s response.

“Help, help, this stranger is trying to touch me inappropriately,” Villanelle half-shouts, her exclamation punctuated by her mother-in-law’s laughter.

“You’re so dramatic,” Eve says, rolling her eyes, her hand finally emerging with the tickets. She moves to Villanelle’s side and kisses her, whispering “So dramatic and so overdressed,” into her mouth before returning to her mother. 

Villanelle groans and looks into Billie’s face. “She shouldn’t allowed to be so sexy, right? There should be a law that says you cannot be sexy when your wife is fully clothed in winter gear with baby strapped to her body and no possibility for you-know-what for a few hours.”

Billie laughs at Villanelle’s barrage of words and hits her hand against her chin. 

“You want me to stop talking and shut up? Fine. You’re just like your omma.” Villanelle follows Eve and her mother-in-law to the gates of the plaza and Eve presents their tickets to the bored looking high schooler who waves his hand for them to go inside.

“I think we found the holiday grinch,” Villanelle mumbles to Billie, giving the attendant a wide-eyed look as they shuffle past. “Let’s see what all the fuss is about.” 

Carts of food, wooden toys, and clothing line the walks in front of them. Lights are strung up everywhere and signs pointing to various events cover the grounds. Villanelle gasps. Although she has seen vast displays of holiday lights in cities around the world, she never had the urge to walk inside a festival like this and she certainly didn’t think she’d be doing it with a family of her own.

“Baby, do you want to find the North Pole Railway first or check out the ice carver or do pictures with Santa?,” Eve is looking between Villanelle’s face and a detailed, colorful pamphlet. “Or should we buy some food and drinks now?”

“Let’s do the Railway first? A sign says it should be around the corner. We can also get some drinks for now and food after?”

“Okay. There’s also cookie decorating, balloon animals, story time with Mrs. Claus…wow, they must have updated this event since my parents took me here. I don’t remember half of these things. Omma, was any of this around when we came?”

“Pictures with Santa was and the ice carving. I don’t think that North Pole event was here or the story time.”

“Eve!! The train!!” Villanelle almost jumps for joy when a large train chugs along the tracks in front of them before coming to a stop. Sprigs of holly are hanging from its carriage along with a large wreath at the front of the train and line lights on the top and the bottom. A conductor walks out and waves to the children. Villanelle waves back, bringing Billie’s hand up with hers. Eve slips her arm around her wife’s waist and can feel the excited energy bouncing off of her. The conductor reads from a large scroll of paper and asks for a child in the audience to volunteer and hold a lantern.

“I wish Billie was old enough,” Villanelle says softly, her mouth hanging slightly open in awe at the scene unfolding before her. Eve squeezes her waist and appreciates the fact that her mother is taking photos of them so they can look back on the memory. 

The conductor congratulates the volunteer after he steps down from the train, a huge smile on his face, and then directs everyone to Santa’s Workshop on the other side of the tracks. He gets back into the train with a “Happy Holidays!” farewell greeting and the crowd starts to head towards the workshop once the train has left.

“That was really cool, wasn’t it, Billie?,” Villanelle asks, kissing Billie’s forehead. Eve gently tugs on Villanelle’s arm and points towards one of the stalls.

“Let’s go there. We can buy some cider for now?,” Eve inquires, grabbing one of Villanelle’s gloved hands.

Villanelle smiles as her mother-in-law stops taking photos and walks next to them, Eve’s new camera hanging around her neck. 

“Do you like that camera, Omma?”

“It’s really nice.”

“Do you want one?”

“Oh, no. This is too fancy for me.”

“Just borrow that one then, whenever you want.” Villanelle grins. 

“I will.”

“Omma, do you want cider? Coffee?”

“Cider.”

Villanelle watches Eve place the order and she feels like someone is pulling on her heartstrings. Eve’s hair is hidden beneath a Yale beanie but the ends of it are gracefully adorning her shoulders. Her neck is covered by a navy scarf and when Villanelle glances at it, she remembers the love bite she left there a few hours before. Eve must sense her thinking because she turns, suddenly, and gives her a look. Villanelle flushes beneath the knowingness of her wife’s smile.

“Did you want cider, too, V?”

“Uh hmm,” Villanelle replies, grabbing both of Billie’s tiny hands in her own and kissing her knuckles.

“I’m going to use that bathroom before we go anywhere else. Eve, you can hold onto my drink. Take the camera, too.” Omma disappears and Villanelle spots her standing in a medium-sized line in front of a row of portable toilets a few seconds later.

“Do you like watching me?,” Eve asks, sidling up to Villanelle as they stand at the edge of the stall’s counter and grab their drinks. They walk to an empty bench nearby with a view of the bathroom line and sit down.

“It’s one of my favorite pastimes,” Villanelle says, giving Eve the side eye as she drinks some of the hot cider.

“Oh really? And what’s another?”

“I think it starts with s and ends in x.”

“I get it. You’re a Sox fan.”

Villanelle laughs and Billie does too, her eyes roving over Villanelle’s face like she’s scrutinizing every detail.

“Hmm. I love baseball.”

“My dad loved the Sox,” Eve admits, her voice clear and soft, and Villanelle notes the change in conversation.

“Yeah?,” she replies back, setting her empty cup down on the unoccupied part of the bench so she can slide her arm around Eve.

“He grew up in Boston so he was diehard fan. His dad had season tickets and they'd go to every single game. He took me to Fenway whenever he had time off from work and we could spend some time away from home.”

“Did you like baseball?”

“Not really. I knew he loved it though so I enjoyed going to the games with him. It was a whole experience, you know?”

“He really loved his sports, didn’t he?”

“Just baseball and football. But yeah, he did.”

“Maybe we can take Billie to a baseball game in Boston when she’s old enough? Just for the experience?”

“I’d like that. Thanks, baby. Hold still, I want to take a photo of you two on the bench. Let me put your cup in Billie’s bag. We can recycle it somewhere later.”

After Omma shows up, they head to Santa’s Workshop. 

“You think we can cut the line?,” Villanelle playfully asks Eve when they see the line for photos with Santa. “I can convince one of the elves to let us through.”

Eve looks at her mother and notices how tired she is. “Go ahead.”

“Really?” Villanelle’s eyes widen. She didn’t think Eve would take her seriously, let alone give her permission to jump in front of the large line of people.

“Yes. Do you want me to take Billie?”

“Yes, I don’t want to involve her in any of my—“

“—our”

“—our schemes no matter how practical they are.”

After handing Billie to Eve, Villanelle bumps into one of the elves on her pretense of looking for a bathroom. She discreetly hands her a bill and after an exchange of words, the elf ushers Villanelle, Eve, Billie, and Omma to the front of the line.

“Excuse us!,” Villanelle cheerily calls out, ignoring the rude remarks of the disgruntled parents they walk by.

“How did you get to the front?,” Omma asks, shocked.

“Oh, just a little holiday cheer,” Villanelle replies. 

“Alright, you all can go up to where Santa is sitting for the picture.”

Villanelle proudly marches onstage and turns quickly to ask Eve if they want Santa to hold Billie. 

“Um. Yes, let’s ask him to hold her but only for a quick second.”

“Ho, ho, ho!,” Santa huffs out. 

“Ho, ho, ho!,” Villanelle repeats, mimicking him perfectly.

“And who do we have here?,” Santa asks.

“Billie.”

“What a nice name, Billie. How are you?” Santa holds Billie so she is facing the camera at the front center of the stage. 

Eve, Villanelle, and Omma stand to the right of the stage and Villanelle bursts out laughing when Billie looks up and grabs Santa’s beard, pulling hard.

"OMG, baby! She's PULLING his hair!," Eve shouts out, a look of shock on her face.

"Yes, she is. That's our girl. So smart at detecting disguises. She reminds me of a certain someone..." Villanelle stares pointedly at Eve and grabs her around the waist, pulling her backwards so their bodies are touching.

“OH!,” Santa yells as his fake beard leaves his face and snaps back up, hitting his chin. A ripple of exclamations can be heard in the audience as some of the other kids realize that the man in the red suit is, in fact, a man in a red suit and not actually Santa Claus.

Offstage, Villanelle says "Oh! Oh! Oh," in Santa's "Ho, Ho, Ho!" accent. Eve nudges her in the ribs, and tries to hide the grin on her face. "She IS learning how to pull hair from you!"

"Hmm, yes. I'm such a bad influence," Villanelle mumbles into Eve's ear.

The camera shutter clicks a few more times and Billie laughs. Santa stands up and hurriedly hands Billie back to Eve, rubbing his chin.

“You can come over here and look at the picture!,” the elf cries out, trying to hurry the family up, noting Santa’s mood change.

Eve chuckles at the sight of Billie’s upturned face, clenched fist around the fake beard, and the horrified expression on Santa’s face. “We’ll take five prints please.”

Villanelle takes Billie and places her into the carrier so that this time she is facing outwards. “You did a very good job with your holiday photo, baby. We are proud of you for realizing that man was wearing a disguise. You are going to be very smart. Maybe you should follow in your mother’s professional footsteps?”

Eve pays for the photos and shoves them in her bag after her mother looks at them and shakes her head, laughing. As they walk offstage, Eve almost trips when the elf behind her says “Sorry about your partner’s medical diagnosis. I hope they can find out what it is soon…”

“God, V, what did you tell her you had?,” Eve asks Villanelle who is smirking offstage and preening over her suave abilities. 

Villanelle casually shrugs: “Doctors don’t know and neither do we, love. Ice carving?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family enjoys more holiday festival activities.

Eve laughs and grabs Villanelle’s hand as they follow her mother outside and towards the ice carving area. Billie starts to cry a few minutes later and Villanelle stops walking. She dips her head down towards Billie’s body and inhales, crinkling her nose a few seconds later.

“Baby needs to be changed. Will you two stay here? I’m just going to find a bathroom back inside.”

“Here, baby,” Eve says, handing Villanelle the diaper bag. “You want me to come with you?”

“No, stay here. We’ll be back,” Villanelle grins, imitating Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Terminator” character.

“Omma, I’m going to get some food,” Eve says to her mother who nods and sits down on a bench, taking photos.

Eve walks around to a few of the nearby stalls and buys three cinnamon sugar pretzels.

Villanelle and Billie are sitting next to her mother by the time she returns.

“How was she?,” Eve asks, bending forward to kiss Billie’s forehead.

“Stinky. She needs a bath when we get home. Don’t you, baby?,” Villanelle asks, brushing her daughter’s thick hair off of her face and biting into her pretzel.

“Hmm, this reminds me of childhood,” Eve says, closing her eyes and chewing.

“We should visit the holiday markets in France. The food there is excellent,” Villanelle suggests, glancing at Eve.

“Do you want to?”

“I’d love to.”

“We should plan it then. Maybe next year.”

“Maybe.”

The crowd responds as the ice carving contest begins and the noise of chainsaws fills the air.

“Shit, I didn’t think about how noisy it would be!,” Villanelle says to Eve, pointing down at Billie.

“Let’s move to the next area,” Eve replies, tossing her pretzel wrapper.

“Story time?,” Villanelle asks, peering over Eve’s shoulder to look at the pamphlet.

“Yes, it’s around the corner. Omma, you ready?”

The group of four move into a narrow building decorated with lights and lined with trees. Children are sitting on the floor in the front as an older woman wearing a wig, glasses, and a red velvet dress reads “Twas The Night Before Christmas” in front of a roaring fire.

“Shall we try moving closer?,” Villanelle turns to Eve and whispers conspiratorially. 

“No, I don’t want us to get swarmed by the kids when it’s over. Can we sit at this table here?”

Eve looks around and doesn’t see anyone near a table in the back situated in front of a long table with coffee, tea, and cookies.

“Let’s just sit down and if we need to move, we’ll leave. It’s Billie’s time to eat soon, no?”

“Yes.” Eve checks her watch. “Good call, baby.”

Eve’s mother walks over to the table with three cups of coffee and sets them down. “What a good idea. They’re raising money for the children’s cancer ward and accepting donations in exchange for refreshments.”

“Omma, I could have grabbed the drinks,” Villanelle says, holding onto Billie’s tiny hands and kissing her cheek.

“It’s okay, I was already standing over there anyway.”

Villanelle turns her head to the front of the room and feels her heart swell from the cozy atmosphere and being here with Eve. She glances at her and notices her place her arm around her mother’s neck to whisper something into her ear. Her mother smiles and nods replying, “Your dad would have loved this.”

Villanelle releases Billie’s hands to drink her coffee. After setting the empty cup down, she slips her hand beneath the table and rests it on Eve’s thigh.

“Are you okay?,” she mouths when Eve looks at her.

Eve nods, her eyes glistening, and Villanelle knows she’s thinking of her dad.

“He was such a sucker for the holidays,” Eve whispers, swallowing twice. She raises her hand and brushes it over Billie’s head before squeezing one of her hands.

“Can I hold her?”

“Yes.” Villanelle lifts Billie up and out of the carrier and hands her to Eve who places her against her shoulder and kisses her.

Suddenly Villanelle wonders if her dad ever took her to holiday festivals. What little memory she has of her childhood before the orphanage is fragmented in her mind and she has no recollection of family traditions or even of being held or made to feel safe. The image of Eve cooing quietly to Billie makes her stomach turn only because she doesn’t think she was ever held that way. 

“I need to step outside,” Villanelle quickly mumbles to Eve before getting up and striding to the door. When she gets outside, she walks towards the food stall area and tries to take a few deep breaths. She doesn’t even realize she is crying until she bends down to place her palms over her knees.

She wonders about her dad and then thinks briefly about her mother, the woman who dropped her off at an orphanage without a single look back. What if she still has that darkness inside of her, the one her mother mentioned before she killed her? Would she ever get so angry with Billie and harm her, too?

“Hey.”

Eve’s voice breaks through the noise in Villanelle’s head and she looks up, quickly rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands.

Eve approaches her and slips her arms around her. “Are you okay?,” she asks softly, eyes probing Villanelle’s face for answers. "Do you want to sit down?" 

“I was thinking of my parents...”

“What about them?”

“About how I cannot remember being held and how my mother dropped me off at the orphanage and didn’t care what happened to me. What if she’s right? What if the darkness never leaves me? What if I’m fooling myself into thinking my insides are as bright as these lights?”

Villanelle looks up and gestures to the trees around them decorated with twinkling colorful lights.

“Baby. You are truly the best parent to our daughter. You are attentive, patient, loving, compassionate. I have never seen anyone act so engaged with their child and I’m not saying this just because I love you and am biased. I’m saying it because it is true.”

“So I don’t need to worry about the darkness?" Villanelle's voice cracks then and Eve feels her heart twitch. Although she has seen Villanelle act more vulnerable since Billie's birth, there's a desperation beneath the vulnerability now that she hasn't recognized before. 

“No, you do not. What your mother said was wrong. She was holding all of these negative feelings inside of her for so many years and it just ate her up from the inside. I’m glad you did what you did but I am sorry you had to deal with the repercussions.” Eve finishes speaking and wipes away the tears on Villanelle's cheeks. 

“You are okay with what I did??”

“Yes. You saved your brother from her, didn’t you? He wouldn’t be able to be who he is if she were still alive, would he?”

Villanelle thinks of her brother and how excited he was to see Elton John live. She shakes her head firmly. “No, he wouldn’t.”

“You freed him by getting rid of her and that was incredibly selfless of you to do. Selfless people are not dark, they always bring light into the lives of others.”

“Thank you, for thinking I am still a good person after I—“

“Sssh. You don’t need to thank me. You are a good person. You’re the best person. I wouldn’t want to be married to anyone else or have a baby with anyone else.”

“You really mean that?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I’m sorry you’re missing your dad. I really wish I could have met him.”

“He would have loved you, V. If he were right now, you and him would be watching the ice carving contest and placing bets on which person would take home the prize.”

“That sounds beautiful.”

“You know what’s beautiful?”

“My face?”

Eve laughs and kisses her wife on the lips. “Besides that?”

“My body?” Villanelle smiles and wiggles her eyebrows up and down. 

“Okay, now you’re just bragging but yes, you have a very beautiful face and body.”

“Sorry, baby. I’m listening.”

“The fact that my mother is inside with our baby girl.”

“Hmm. That is pretty beautiful.”

“Omma never thought she’d become a grandmother, especially not after my marriage with Niko began going downhill. But here she is, fawning over our Billie, and living a fulfilled life. I never thought I’d be a mother and here I am, living a fulfilled life. And guess who made all of this happen?”

“Who?,” Villanelle asks, looking up at the sky, mouth forming the shape of an “O” as she emphasizes the last part of the word.

“You did.” Eve kisses Villanelle on the lips and smiles when Villanelle squeals after she playfully bites down on her bottom one. 

“Mmm, you did the heavy lifting," Villanelle mumbles, pulling away and pressing her lips against the side of Eve's neck and eliciting a gasp. 

“No, you did, too. Thank you for all of this.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Do you want to walk around for a bit before we completely lose it and have sex on this bench?”

“Don't tempt me. Yes, I do. Let’s go place some bets on the ice carvers.”

Villanelle spins Eve around and they hold hands, walking beneath a canopy of lights and heading towards the noise.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve and Villanelle visit the ice sculpture station before the family heads home. Their plan to enjoy a peaceful evening is disrupted after they get into an argument.

When Eve and Villanelle arrive at the ice carving station, six artists are conversing with eventgoers at their respective sculptures. One of the sculptures captures Eve’s attention and she pulls Villanelle over for a closer look. The sculpture is incredibly lifelike and features a dragon breathing a flame of fire into the air. 

“I think this one is my favorite,” Eve says, sliding her hands over Villanelle’s hands that are already secured tightly around her stomach. Villanelle rests her chin on top of Eve’s head and nods. 

“I love the fire and the ice relationship,” Eve adds. “I also used to be obsessed with dragons.”

Villanelle bends her head down so she can kiss Eve on the cheek. A smile pulls her lips upwards as she mumbles into Eve’s ear “God, you were such a nerd, weren’t you?”

Eve giggles, remembering her collection of miniature dragon statues and making a mental note to ask her mother where they are once they get home.

“I really was. Did you collect anything?”

“Daggers,” Villanelle replies and Eve swears she makes her voice sexy on purpose because her body instantly reacts to her wife’s response.

“That’s really hot,” Eve whispers, turning around and pulling Villanelle towards her.

“Mmm,” Villanelle tries to speak. When Eve releases her lips, she smirks: “You really liked that answer, didn’t you? Do you want me to show you my collection? But we will need to ask my brothers to take a photo first. Unless you want to go to Russia with me?”

“I never thought I’d accept an invitation to see a dagger collection, especially not from my wife, but yes, I would love to see it and I’d also like to see where you grew up. Maybe we can create some better memories?”

“Russia is a shit place to create memories. At least it was for me. But if you really want to go, we can. One day. When Billie is older.”

“I think we could go and have a beautiful experience there but the decision is yours to make, okay?”

“Yes, wife.”

“Are you teasing me?”

“No.”

“I can hear the smile in your voice.”

“I think your consideration for my feelings is really cute.”

“So you are paying attention in the therapy appointments…”

“Maybe. Can we go home now so I can make out with my very cute wife?”

“Shit! We do actually need to leave. Billie must be starving and Omma must be wondering where we went. Come on.”

Eve grabs Villanelle’s hand and Eve calls her mother and asks her to meet them at the food cart area. They see her a few minutes later and Billie is crying. Villanelle takes the carrier from Eve’s mother and slips it on quickly before Eve secures it.

“Come here, baby. I’m sorry we left you for so long. I hope you didn’t pull Omma’s hair or try to eat her fingers,” Villanelle murmurs after placing Billie in the carrier and adjusting her hat.

“Ready?,” Eve asks, taking Billie’s bag from her mother. 

The group starts to make their way towards the exit closest to the carpark and Villanelle looks around at the dwindling crowd.

“Are you glad we came?,” she asks Eve who takes the camera from her mother and snaps a few photos of her and Billie as they walk.

“Yes. This could be a holiday tradition?”

“I like those.”

Forty minutes later, Eve places Billie in her crib after feeding her and goes down to the kitchen, baby monitor in hand, where Villanelle is preparing dinner. She has her mother-in-law’s apron on and has somehow found a Santa hat from somewhere. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” is playing from her phone and she’s singing along quietly so she doesn’t wake her mother-in-law who has gone upstairs to take a nap before dinner.

“Do you want hot chocolate or tea?,” Eve asks, grinning at her wife’s festive attire.

“Hot chocolate.”

Eve bites into one of the holiday cookies from the cookie jar on top of the counter and walks over to the fridge to take out the almond milk. 

“Baby, I know you don’t want to, but we really need to finish packing up our things. Like right after we’re done eating, okay? I packed up most of your suitcase already and half of mine but we need to fit all of Billie’s things inside or we’ll have to ship a box back home.”

“So let’s ship it, save ourselves from the stress.”

“If we have to, yes. If we don’t have to, no.”

“Mm.”

“What? I know what that ‘Mm’ means. Tell me.”

“I just think we’ll waste time trying to shove everything into our suitcases. We should just get a huge box, throw everything in there, and ship it. Let’s enjoy our last night here before we go back to reality.”

“V…”

“What? We’ve gone through a lot in just a few days. Aren’t you tired? Don’t you want to relax for our last night with your mother before we go back to England? We were assaulted, remember?”

“I know, I was there,” Eve replies, stirring the hot cocoa mixture and reaching for a bag of mini gelatin-free marshmallows she knows Villanelle likes.

“So why are you disagreeing with me on this? Why can’t we make our lives easier? I’ve made more than enough money during my life to pay for this type of service so why don’t we take advantage of it?”

“You’re constantly searching for the easy way out, for a life hack. I’m trying to be practical and think of our financial constraints, especially now that Billie is here, but you don’t seem to want to stick to any type of budget, you just want to choose the easier path.”

“If I really wanted to choose the easier path in life, I wouldn’t be here right now,” Villanelle says quietly, turning off the stove where she has finished stirring a large pot of macaroni and vegan cheese. 

"Are you fucking kidding me? If being with me has been so difficult for you and so hard, why have you stayed for so long? Have you been lying to me this entire fucking time? Do you even love me or our child?"

"How can you even ask me that?? Of course I do! Have I not shown you that I do? Is anything I do ever going to be enough for you?," Villanelle yells, walking over to the couch just to pick up a cushion and throw it down.

"You make it seem like being with me is the worst thing you've ever done! Have you forgotten about all those people you killed? Were those not hard decisions to make for you?"

"Do not talk to me like I'm a fucking psychopath!," Villanelle turns to face Eve, her eyes dark and unrevealing of the emotions below the surface. "Why do you keep bringing that up? Why are YOU with me if you still look at me like I'm a monster?"

Without waiting for a response, Villanelle grabs the keys and her coat, gets into the car, and starts to drive. She doesn't realize she's still wearing the apron and the Santa hat until a few seconds later, when she eyes her own reflection in the mirror. That's when she starts to cry.

"I don't want a lot for Christmas  
There is just one thing I need  
I don't care about the presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree  
I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true oh  
All I want for Christmas is you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve finds Villanelle and the two talk before returning home and packing.

Villanelle pulls into the parking lot of a diner, puts the car in park and cries. Her entire body is shaking from anger as Eve’s words echo in her mind. Her cellphone dings and she looks down at the screen to see four missed calls and seven unread texts.

Eve: I’m sorry.

Eve: You’re not answering the phone so you must still be driving. Where are you?

Eve: I can come and meet you. I’m worried.

Eve: Can you call me back?

Eve: V, I’m sorry. Please pick up the phone.

Eve: I’m taking omma’s car and I’m coming to where you are.

Eve: Please just send me your location. I swear to god, I’m going to drive all night if I have to until I see that rental.

Villanelle sends Eve a pin to her location and sighs, leaning her head back against the seat and turning the music up in an attempt to block out her thoughts. Twenty minutes later, Eve is tapping against the window. Villanelle unlocks the car and wipes her face before Eve gets in.

“It’s freezing in here. Can I turn the heat up for you?,” Eve asks, her fingers brushing against Villanelle’s hand. 

Villanelle nods and Eve hands her a cup of coffee. She watches her drink it before starting to speak.

“I’m really sorry for mentioning your past in such a cruel way. Your statement about not choosing the easy path triggered me. A lot. I wasn’t expecting it. I felt like you were saying that our life together is a burden for you. But that still doesn’t excuse everything I said. You do budget, you cook, you clean, you protect us, and do so much more without complaining. I don’t want you to look back on this holiday and remember the things I said before this. They’re not true.”

“So why did you say them? Everything has an ounce of truth, no?”

“I was so angry about the easier path statement because it did made me think about how your life would be easier if you hadn’t said yes on our wedding day. You wouldn’t have gotten beaten up by that asshole, for one thing. You wouldn’t have had to deal with a former college ex. You wouldn’t have to listen to me talking and crying over my dad or my mother talking and crying over my dad. You—“

“Stop.”

“What?”

“Stop talking.”

“Okay?”

“I made a choice, just like you did, on our wedding day. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I feel like our relationship is a burden because it isn’t. It’s the best thing in my life besides Billie. I’m never going to wake up one day and think I should have walked away or made another choice. I’m happy with the one I made.”

“I’m happy, too.”

“Even when you’re wiping my runny nose and brushing tears off my face?”

“Especially then.”

Eve gently slips her hand around Villanelle’s head and pulls her towards her for a soft kiss.

“I’m really, really sorry, Oksana.”

“I know. I can tell from your eyes.”

“I was really worried you wouldn’t come home tonight.”

“I will always come home. I wouldn’t leave you or Billie.”

“I know. But I was worried you wouldn’t, for some reason. I said some really horrible things.”

“You worry too much.”

“Says the worry machine.”

Villanelle smiles before she kisses Eve. “I think it comes with the territory.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

“Your wife.”

“Hmm. I love the sound of that,” Eve mumbles as she leans across the center console and tries to pull Villanelle’s apron upwards.

“Are you trying to slide your hand beneath my sexy apron?”

“Maybe?,” Eve squeaks out.

Villanelle squeals and sets down her coffee in the cup holder, a wolfish grin dancing on her lips. “You want to move to the backseat?,” she whispers, her eyes following Eve’s to the roomy exterior of the SUV where she threw the Santa hat.

“Would you say yes?,” Eve grins back, an equally wolfish smirk on her lips.

“I would say let’s go home and continue this there. As much as I want to, I don’t want you to get cold. I know how cold you get even with the temperature on full blast.”

“So thoughtful of you…,” Eve murmurs, boldly sliding both hands beneath her wife’s apron and palming her breasts above her shirt. She smiles at Villanelle’s reaction but stops her from unbuttoning her jeans. 

“I thought you said let’s wait until we get home.” Eve moves Villanelle’s hand from her lap and kisses her one final time before pulling back and reaching for the door handle.

“This will be the longest ride home of my life,” Villanelle groans.

“Drive safely, baby. Follow me?”

“Into the dark? Always.”

“You’re my favorite DJ.” 

Villanelle watches Eve get into her mother’s Subaru and grins when Eve’s text lights up her phone screen a few seconds later.

Eve: Bedroom date in thirty minutes? I’ll bring you some dinner. And dessert. *winky face*

Villanelle: I don’t think I’ll be able to drive after that promise…I can’t wait. xx.

One hour later…

“I just put Billie to bed and said goodnight to Omma,” Eve says, standing in the doorway of her bedroom, in front of the closed door.

Villanelle looks up from her suitcase and her eyes widen as Eve removes her bathrobe and pulls off her pajama bottoms.

“Are you done packing?,” Eve asks, moving over to Villanelle and pulling her into a standing position at the side of her bed.

“I just have to throw in my toiletries and zip up the other suitcase with Billie’s things…”

“We can do that tomorrow, yes?,” Eve asks, leaning forward and grazing Villanelle’s ear with her teeth.

“Uh huh,” Villanelle replies, running her hands up and down Eve’s back.

“Can I help you get out of all of those clothes?”

Villanelle barks out a laugh and looks down. “By all these clothes, do you mean this shirt and the bottoms?”

“Two too many things, yes.”

“Eve! So naughty,” Villanelle smirks as she slowly peels off her t-shirt and throws it to the side. “You can help me get out of these.”

Eve’s hands slip beneath the waistband of Villanelle’s pants and move to her ass, squeezing gently. She rocks her hips against Villanelle’s before yanking off the pants and pulling Villanelle backwards and onto the bed. They both fall against the mattress and Villanelle exclaims in surprise.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” she says to Eve.

“What, pick you up??”

“No, pull me so forcefully into bed. I like it.”

“Show me,” Eve teases, knowing Villanelle’s propensity for accepting any and all challenges she is presented with. 

“You don’t need to ask me twice,” Villanelle replies, catching Eve’s lips with her own.

**

“Your eye looks healed now,” Eve notes, after sex, lying against Villanelle.

“I think so, too. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“How about your heart?” Eve looks up with an apologetic smile.

“Not after that apology.”

“Should we argue some more so I can apologize again?”

“Every week, at least once.”

“V?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for this vacation. It’s been really nice to be back here with Omma and you and Billie. I don’t want it to end.”

“You’re welcome. We should try and come back again next year. Would you want to?”

“I’d love to. My relatives like you, too. My cousin was texting me about you yesterday.”

“Which one?”

“Eunji.”

“I like her. What did she say?”

“She said she’s happy that I’m happy. She never thought I was before.”

"Your taste has improved.”

“Definitely,” Eve giggles, kissing Villanelle on the cheek. “As much as I want to stay here longer, I’m looking forward to going back home and having your brothers stay with us.”

“I am, too. I don't know if they have been around a baby before though. I am a bit worried."

“I think they will be fine after watching you. You’re really good with her.”

“She’s my best friend,” Villanelle replies earnestly and Eve thinks her heart is going to fall out of her chest with such a pure statement.

“Oh yeah? What do you talk about?,” Eve jokes, knowing Villanelle will pick up on the affection beneath the remark.

“Lots of things. Her mother’s hair and the way she always smells good, of shampoo and soap and air and rain. Her eyes.”

“What about her eyes?”

“How expressive they are and enticing.”

“Enticing?”

“Yes. They seduced me in the bathroom, remember?”

“My eyes did that?”

“Yep,” Villanelle replies.

“I thought you said it was my hair?”

“Both your hair and your eyes. Lethal combination.”

“Hmm. I like how Billie is your best friend.”

“She is!”

“That’s very cute.”

“I miss her when she’s asleep. Is that weird?”

“No.”

“I miss you, too.”

“Me too. Even though I fall asleep before you.”

“Especially after sex.”

“Yes. Because someone has a lot of stamina.”

“Someone’s partner does, too. I think my back is broken.”

“It’s not,” Eve laughs, swatting at Villanelle’s side with her hand and kissing the exaggerated pout on her lips.

“It is, too. Want to test it out and see??”

“I believe you, baby, and no, no more sex tonight. We won’t make it onto the airplane tomorrow. I’m sorry for tiring you out. I’ll give you a massage when we get home.”

“Is Elena getting us from the airport?”

“Yes. I e-mailed her and told her what time to pick us up.”

“Okay. Let’s get some sleep then. If we sleep now we’ll have seven hours of good rest.”

“Goodnight baby,” Eve kisses Villanelle and turns over on her side so she is facing the wall.

“Goodnight,” Villanelle kisses Eve on the neck and slides her arm around her waist, bringing her closer and almost tumbling off the other side of the bed in the process. Squealing, she steadies herself just in time. 

“Are you okay?,” Eve asks, feeling Villanelle catch herself from falling.

“I really need to replace this bed,” Villanelle grumbles.

“I’m sorry it wasn’t made for a long-legged Russian,” Eve laughs.

“Hm, at least you were,” Villanelle replies cheekily, kissing Eve on the neck.

“Hey! None of that sexy talk or neck kissing. Unless you want to miss the flight.”

Villanelle laughs into Eve’s hair and waits for Eve to fall asleep before getting up to use the bathroom. When she looks at herself in the mirror, she grins at how many hickeys Eve left against her neck. 

“Maybe I’ll need to borrow one of her turtlenecks tomorrow…,” she says to herself before getting into bed and falling asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve, Villanelle, and Billie say goodbye to Connecticut and start the first part of their journey 
> 
> or,
> 
> There's a bathroom stall,
> 
> There's a Starbucks run,
> 
> There's an annoying seat-kicking passenger,
> 
> There's "10 Things I Hate About You"
> 
> There's dirty talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) This very long chapter was inspired by Bryce Vine's "Drew Barrymore." Random piece of information: Bryce is best friends with Dan McKerna, co-founder and owner of Ann Arbor's very own "Barn Sanctuary," an animal sanctuary devoted to rescuing animals. More information about this heaven on earth: https://www.barnsanctuary.org  
> PS Any of my readers from A2? I went to Michigan for undergrad and love returning to A2 for visits. #GoBlue
> 
> 2) Video for Bryce's track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OUumPdbaks
> 
> 3) "10 Things I Hate About You" is one of my favorite movies. Heath Ledger was one of my favorite actors. I think he was talented beyond his years. I like to imagine him somewhere, dancing in the bleachers with that huge grin spread across his face like a never-ending horizon. He died on January 22, 2008, 4 months shy of a charity trip to Africa with Elissa Sursara to speak on behalf on anti-poaching campaigners. As an elephant enthusiast and all-around animal lover, I thought it was pretty cool that he was going to do this before his passing. 
> 
> 4) One of my favorite organizations, Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary ("BLES") rescues elephants from abuse and ultimate extinction. If you want to follow them online or set up a birthday fundraiser, please consider doing so. They need the money more than ever due to COVID. 
> 
> *Their website: https://www.blesele.org/what-we-do/
> 
> *Their facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BLESelephants/about/?ref=page_internal
> 
> Thanks so much for the love on my other fics if you've been reading them and commenting. Your feedback means so much to me. I hope you enjoy this long chapter! Since none of us can really travel anywhere due to the pandemic, financial restrictions, etc., I thought we could maybe vicariously through our favorite girlfriends and their sidekick;)

Villanelle is already downstairs preparing breakfast when Eve walks into the kitchen after feeding and dressing Billie. She smiles at Villanelle’s travel attire which has drastically simplified since they first started dating. 

“I really like that Yale sweatshirt on you,” Eve says as she steps behind Villanelle and winds her arms around her, resting her hands above the waistband of her camo pants.

“Very comfy and also very easy to remove,” Villanelle grins.

“You’re making french toast?”

“Your dad’s recipe."

Villanelle hands Eve a cup of coffee and brings two plates of french toast to the counter. 

“Did you sleep well? Are you tired?”

“I’m not too tired."

“I put the suitcases in the car already so all we need to do after eating is grab Billie and her bag.”

“Thanks, V,” Eve says, digging into a slice of french toast and groaning instantly. “This is exactly like my dad’s. Wow, I’m so impressed.” Eve takes another bite and moans, closing her eyes.

“If you keep doing that, we definitely will miss our flight,” Villanelle smiles, slipping her hand beneath Eve’s chin and turning her head towards her own for a deep kiss.

“You know how much I appreciate good food,” Eve replies after pulling her tongue out of Villanelle’s mouth with a sly grin.

“I know. Here, Omma, let me take her,” Villanelle says, quickly getting up and taking Billie from her mother-in-law.

“Nice outfit choice, baby,” Villanelle says to Eve, grinning at Billie’s New Haven onesie paired with soft mustard yellow pants. 

“Omma, Oksana made dad’s french toast. I’ll get you a plate. Coffee?” 

Eve stands up and pours a cup of coffee for her mother and brings her a plate of food. Villanelle smiles at Eve when her mother-in-law express a reaction similar to the one Eve had after biting into the french toast.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve such a talented daughter-in-law, but I’m feeling very thankful for your cooking abilities,” Omma says to Villanelle who is kissing Billie on the cheek and humming Bryce Vine's "Drew Barrymore" to her beneath her breath.

“Omma, you’re the best. Thank you for giving me the book of your husband’s recipes. Now when you move to England and live with us, I can prepare more of your favorite meals.”

Omma wipes her eyes and Eve walks over to her, wrapping her mother in a hug. “Omma, you’ll be there before you know it. We can always travel back here to help you pack or hire movers to help you. Aunt Christine and Uncle Rob will also help.”

“I know. I will miss you before then. The house will feel empty and very quiet without you two making all that noise in your room.”

Eve chokes and Villanelle guffaws, covering Billie’s ears so she doesn’t feel the brunt of her throaty laugh.

“These walls are quite thin,” Omma says, winking at Villanelle and watching Eve’s entire face turn a deep red.

“Oh my god. I cannot even look at you right now,” Eve groans, turning away from her mother. She grabs Billie from Villanelle and blows raspberries on her belly, eliciting giggles.

“Are you using our baby to hide your face?,” Villanelle mumbles, dipping her head next to Eve’s ear and kissing her on the earlobe before stepping away and sitting next to Omma at the counter.

“Omma, you’re funny,” Villanelle says, smirking.

“Thank you. Although I don’t think Eve would agree. She would just say I do a good job at embarrassing her.”

“She’s a big girl, she can handle it. Right, honey?,” Villanelle looks at her wife standing in front of the stove and bouncing Billie against her chest.

“Right, honey,” Eve replies, narrowing her eyes at Villanelle but unable to remove the smirk dancing on her lips.

“What is your itinerary?,” Omma asks, looking between Eve and Villanelle as she sips her coffee.

“We’re flying from here to Philadelphia with a one hour layover and then from there to Chicago where we’ll stay the night before leaving the next day for Heathrow,” Villanelle explains, checking the information on her phone.

“Is Billie going to be okay with all of the traveling?”

“Yes, she was fine on the way here. She slept mostly and only cried once. She’s our perfect baby,” Eve replies, kissing Billie on the forehead.

“Except when she poops,” Villanelle jokes.

“Like mother, like daughter,” Eve teases, a grin breaking out across on her face as Villanelle responds with an exaggerated scoff.

“Aren’t you glad I’m not full of shit?”

“You’re so good at those one-liners,” Eve admits, leaning over the counter and kissing Villanelle on the lips.

“Are we ready to go?,” Villanelle says, checking the time on her phone and standing.

“I think so. Do you have Billie’s bag and our coats?”

Villanelle gets the coats and helps Eve put Billie’s on her before pulling Billie’s beanie out of its pocket and placing it on her. “You packed the carrier in her bag?,” Villanelle asks Eve and Eve nods.

Villanelle hugs her mother-in-law and kisses her on the forehead. “We’ll be back before you know it or you’ll beat us to it and be in England. I was thinking maybe by February at the latest? I can fly back and help you pack up the things you want and then we can travel back home together?”

Omma nods, wiping her eyes and sniffling. “I’m so grateful for you, Oksana.”

“No, I’m grateful for you,” Villanelle says, clearing her throat and wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand. “You’re our favorite person. I called Aunt Christine and she said she’s going to pick you up and take you to her place for dinner. Is that okay?”

“Yes.” 

Villanelle gives her mother-in-law one more kiss before stepping away and letting Eve say goodbye. She watches them from the doorway and struggles to maintain her composure. Even though she knows Eve’s mother has family close by, she can also tell how much she will miss having her daughter around after so many years of not being able to spend time with her.

“Are we ready?,” Eve asks after handing Billie to Villanelle so she can put on her coat.

“Yep,” Villanelle replies. 

The two women walk to the rental car which Villanelle started from inside and place Billie in her baby seat. When they turn around, they wave to Omma standing in the doorway.

“Go inside, Omma, you’ll get cold!,” Eve yells.

“Are you alright?,” Villanelle asks once they are both inside and pulling away from the house. 

“I’m going to miss her, baby,” Eve replies, waving one more time and watching her mother reenter the house and close the door.

“I know. I told her I would help her move by February at the latest. Is that okay?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“I can fly back here by myself and you can stay behind with Billie. I’m sure Elena and Irina and our other friends can stay over and help. I don’t want you to be alone.”

“You’re so thoughtful. I’d like that. I just want her to be close to us. Especially with that break-in.”

“I know and she will be. Let’s plan when we get back home. Is Billie okay?”

Villanelle checks the rearview mirror and sees Billie falling asleep. Eve turns in her chair and notices the same. “I think I’ll feed her in Philly or before we board if she’s hungry then and then we can look forward to resting in Chicago?”

“Sounds good. I don’t want to push her with these trips. Do you think she had fun?”

“She loved being spoiled by Omma and all of our family. I think Aunt Christine wants to adopt her.”

“Hm, I don’t blame her,” Villanelle says, looking out the window at the fallen snow and the lights of houses.

“I miss being pregnant.”

“What?,” Villanelle says, her head jerking back towards Eve.

“I do. I miss it.”

“Really? You’re not just saying that because you know…”

“No, I wouldn’t do that. Seeing my mother spoil our baby made me realize how beautiful life can be. I think Billie should grow up with a sibling so she can share things with him or her or they that she might not be able to share with us?”

“You think so?”

“Both of us were only children. I grew up feeling lonely until I met Aisha and you said you’ve felt lonely for most of your life.”

“Until I met you.”

Eve reaches for Villanelle’s hand and squeezes it. 

“I want you to have another baby to spoil, too, even though I know you’re going to say it’s our decision to make together.”

“Why?”

“You’re so good with Billie. Like unnervingly good.”

“You don’t think it’s smothering?”

“No. I mean, I guess she’ll let us know when she is older and rebelling.”

Villanelle squints and bites down on her bottom lip and it is clear she is thinking about something. 

“What if she grows up and hates me?,” she asks, her voice cracking.

“Why would she hate you?”

“I hated my mother when I grew up.”

“Because she was an evil person, V.”

“Yes.”

“You would never do anything or say anything to our baby to make her hate you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I know you. Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe you can talk to the therapist about self-doubt? I want you to trust yourself the way I trust you. But it’s a lifelong process. Even for me.”

“You do not trust yourself?”

“I didn’t trust myself after our argument. I was projecting my insecurities onto you. It was ugly. I’m not perfect. Nobody is. If we remember that, we can be more kind to ourselves and to each other, don’t you think so?”

“You’re so smart, Mrs. Astankova,” Villanelle grins, bringing Eve’s hand to her lips.

“I have to keep up with you.”

“Stop or I’ll pull over right now and make you have to change your clothes.”

Eve blushes and returns Villanelle’s suggestive smirk. “We might lose our baby if you say something like that on the plane.”

“Remember the trip we took to Greece right before you found out you were pregnant? The one when you asked me to meet you in the airplane bathroom??”

“I remember. My hormones were raging. That bathroom treated us well,” Eve giggles, covering her mouth with her hand so as not to wake up Billie.

“I love having sex with you, even on public transportation.”

“That’s…thank you?”

“You’re welcome,” Villanelle shoots Eve another wolfish grin and Eve knows she’s picturing her naked. She crosses her legs and tries to think of something else besides her very attractive partner thinking of her naked. Pulling out her phone, she sees a few missed text messages from Aisha.

Aisha: Going to miss you guys. Safe travels home, E.

Eve: We’re going to miss you, too. Come and visit us when you can?

Aisha: We will. Do you want us to check in on Omma sometime next week?

Eve: That’d be great. She’d love the company.

“Eve?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you sure about having another one? Remember, what the doctor said before Billie?”

“I think I’m willing to take the risk. I don’t want you to feel guilty about not being able to carry. Your body has been through a lot with your previous employment. Billie turned out perfectly healthy and if we do the process again shortly after we get back home, I don’t think we’ll have any issues. I can’t explain it, V, I just have a feeling.”

“If you’re 100% sure, I will support whatever you want to do. But I will be fine with things the way they are.”

“I know, but I do want to at least explore the possibility of having another and if there isn't, okay. At least we tried."

"Okay, let's do it then. I'll make an appointment after we get home?"

Villanelle looks at Eve for a second and grins at the warm smile on her face.

"What?"

"You're cute," Villanelle replies, reaching out and touching Eve's lips with her thumb. She yelps when Eve opens her mouth and sucks on the tip of her finger before gently biting down. "Cute and also naughty."

"You love me," Eve says, taking Villanelle's hand and holding it in her lap.

"I do."

Villanelle pulls the rental car up to the curb outside of Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport and puts it in park. She approaches the rental facility desk just on the inside of the airport and a man walks out and jumps into the driver's seat as Villanelle helps Eve and Billie out and removes their suitcases. 

"Do you want to go inside with Billie and I'll come in with the suitcases?"

"Sure."

Villanelle slips Billie's bag over her shoulder and places the suitcases on the luggage trolley. She tells the man to run the payment through her credit card and says goodbye to him before turning on her heel and walking inside towards the Delta Airlines check-in computer area where Eve is standing. 

"I'm going to carry her so you can check us in, okay?," Villanelle asks, securing the baby carrier to her chest and taking Billie from Eve. 

After dropping their bags off and getting past security, they walk past their gate and straight into a Starbucks where Villanelle orders two soy lattes and two waters.

"Is she okay?," Eve asks, sighing with relief as she sits down in the plastic seat at the gate.

"She's still sleeping. Are we sure she's alive?," Villanelle teases, widening her eyes and taking a sip of coffee.

"Hush, you. With the way you move around, of course she is."

"How many more minutes until we have to board?"

"About half an hour. I might try to feed her before then, just so she doesn't wake up on the plane."

"You want to go into the bathroom in about ten minutes then?"

"Yeah."

"We can ditch the baby and grab the biggest stall?"

Eve laughs and gives her wife the side eye as she drinks her coffee and throws her legs up on the empty chair in front of her.

"That is not happening. Not until the hotel room in Chicago, anyway."

"Are you planning out our sex life?," Villanelle inquires and Eve swears everyone at the gate hears the question since more than one head turns in their direction.

"V!," Eve hastily replies, nudging her smirking wife in the ribs.

"Are you??"

"So what if I did think about it?"

"Hmm. I don't know if I can wait until Chicago with that confession."

"Too bad," Eve casually replies, running her hands through her hair and enjoying the intense stare Villanelle is giving her as she does so.

Villanelle groans and dips her head so her lips are grazing Billie's forehead. "Your omma is very, very bad, baby. I must not give into temptation or we will surely miss this flight."

"Bathroom time, hotshot," Eve says, offering her hand to Villanelle whose body temperature seems to be almost as hot as her own.

"You don't need to ask me twice," Villanelle says suggestively, grabbing Billie's bag and pulling Eve towards the nearest bathroom where they enter the largest stall and lock the door behind them.

Villanelle wakes up Billie with soft kisses against her face and watches Eve undo the top four buttons of her shirt. Before she can cry out, Billie is quickly handed to Eve and latches onto her right nipple.

"Do you want anything? I know this stall has much to be desired," Villanelle says, looking around with disgust at the crumpled up toilet paper on the floor beneath the trash can and the overflowing trash can itself.

"No, I'm okay. At least not now. Later. In the hotel room."

Eve wiggles her eyebrows and Villanelle gulps before replacing the neutral expression on her face with a sly smile. "Just tell me what you want later. Your wish is my command," Villanelle says in the voice of Robin Williams as the genie.

"Are you okay, sidekick?," Villanelle asks Billie, locking eyes with her and making a face over Eve's shoulder. "Don't pull too hard," Villanelle pouts, sliding her finger in between Billie's so she can let go of Eve's hair.

"It's okay, it wasn't too hard that time. She's obsessed. I need to get a haircut next week."

Villanelle scoffs and wears a mock horrified look on her face, causing Eve to laugh.

"You're acting like I haven't cut it before."

"I like this length on you," Villanelle replies, trying not to whine.

Eve looks between the baby in her arms and the one hovering above her and she suppresses a laugh at the similarities between the two. "Fine. I'll keep it this length for awhile longer but I do want to get a trim before the New Year."

"Whatever you want, boss," Villanelle coyly whispers, stepping behind Eve and kissing her on the neck. 

"Alright, smooth operator, can you grab her? I think she's done for now. I'm going to try and fill this bottle." 

Villanelle takes Billie and is about to put her back into the carrier when she sniffs and wrinkles her nose. "I'll change her."

Twenty minutes later, the three are on the plane. Villanelle is holding Billie on her lap and talking to her in a low voice about the poor air quality while Eve is pretending to listen to the airline safety information but really sending a last minute text to her mother to let her know they are onboard.

"Do you have the headphones?," Villanelle asks Eve and Eve pulls out Billie's bag from the seat in front of her, grabbing a set of customized headphones exactly the same as Villanelle's but only smaller.

"Let's cover your ears, baby," Villanelle says, watching Eve slide the headphones gently over Billie's head. "You don't want them to pop. It is uncomfortable. You look so good in these headphones," Villanelle adds cheerily, looking around the cabin to see if anyone else is watching and appreciating her and Eve's adorable child.

Eve pushes the bag back beneath the seat and sticks Billie's plush giraffe in between her and Villanelle so Billie can play with it after take-off. 

"I have the bottle with me in case she starts to get hungry again but I don't think that will happen until the layover. Her coat is in her bag but I have a sweater in case she gets cold. I also put the carrier below your seat in case you get tired of holding her."

"Okay, thank you. Did you text Omma?"

"Yeah. She's just cleaning up now and doing some laundry. We can call her from O'Hare."

"Why don't you take a nap, baby? You're tired."

"I'm okay, really. I like watching you fussing over Billie. She looks so cute in her headphones. Did you give her the pacifier?"

"Yeah, she was sucking on it. Can you check if she spit it out?"

Eve leans forward and pulls on the pacifier string clipped to Billie's onesie and places the pacifier back in her mouth.

An announcement comes on by the pilot about the seatbelt sign and the plane starts to move down the runway as the air hostesses walk down the aisle and double check seatbelts before taking their seats. 

Villanelle turns to Eve and kisses her on the temple, knowing her fear of takeoff and landings. "Are you okay?," she mumbles, dipping her head down to look at Eve's eyes.

"I will be, I just hate the uncertainty of the first few moments."

"We're right here."

"Thanks."

Eve closes her eyes as the plane ascends and instinctively slips her hand on Villanelle's thigh, resting it beneath Billie's leg. A few seconds later, she hears Villanelle tell her that they're in the air and are fine. Eve looks over at Villanelle removing the headphones from Billie and offering her the giraffe to play with. She's about to ask Villanelle for Billie when the passenger behind her kicks her seat.

"Hey!," Eve calls out, annoyed, once the kicking becomes repetitive. She turns her head and looks through the gap in between her seat and Villanelle's seat. A male seemingly in his early thirties is sitting behind her, AirPods on, and looking down at his phone.

"What's wrong?," Villanelle asks, turning her head to look behind her as well.

"This man keeps kicking my seat. I'm trying to tell him to stop," Eve mutters, gesturing at the wholly oblivious man.

"HEY!," Villanelle screams, startling Eve at the volume of her voice and handing Billie to Eve to hold.

The man jerks his head up and lifts one AirPod. "Can I help you?," he asks, seemingly irritated.

"Stop kicking my wife's seat. It's rude," Villanelle spits out, craning her head as far back as she can with the seatbelt restraint and scowling.

"Ooh, so chivalrous of you," the man laughs mockingly, putting his AirPod back in.

"What did you say?," Villanelle asks, a frown turning her lips down, as she tries to stand up.

"It's okay, baby, just leave it," Eve hurriedly pulls Villanelle down with one arm and rests her hand in Villanelle's lap with her other arm tightly secured around Billie's waist. "Thank you for doing that."

"You're welcome," Villanelle replies, now wearing a pout instead of a grimace. "Next time we're flying in first class."

Eve laughs softly and squeezes Villanelle's hand. "Okay, but assholes fly there, too. "

"At least we will have more room," Villanelle grumbles, trying to stretch her legs out in front of her and hitting the back of the seat as a result.

"Sure. More room for those long legs of yours."

"You're teasing me."

"I'm not. Am I, Billie?," Eve waves Billie's hands up and down and kisses the top of her head. Billie gurgles and spit falls onto her stomach after she rejects the pacifier.

"I'm going to walk her up and down the aisle. I think she's getting antsy," Villanelle says. 

"Sounds good. I'm going to try and take a nap then." 

Eve hands Billie to Villanelle and the two exchange a quick kiss before Villanelle steps into the aisle and starts to walk its length. She notices other passengers smiling when their eyes find Billie's face and she can't help but feel proud of how cheery and good Billie is. Once the beverage cart shows up at the front of the aisle, Villanelle returns to her seat and sits down next to a sleeping Eve covered by the airplane blanket.

"Be quiet since your omma is sleeping, okay? Maybe you can try and sleep now or you will be cranky in the airport."

Villanelle pulls the baby carrier from beneath the seat and thanks the air hostess who stops by to hold Billie so she can put it on. 

"Thank you," Villanelle says, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Oh, of course. I couldn't resist taking the opportunity to hold this cutie."

"She's very cute, isn't she? She's good, too. Hardly ever cries. Laughs all the time. Her poop, on the other hand, wheww..."

The hostess laughs and asks Villanelle if she needs anything else. Villanelle shakes her head and takes Billie from her and places her in the carrier. 

"Are you hungry? Do you want your bottle?"

Billie waves her arms up and down, hitting Villanelle's biceps. 

"Ouch, you're getting strong. Are you doing push-ups when nobody is watching?"

Villanelle leans down and kisses Billie on the cheek after hearing her giggle. She then turns on the monitor on the back of the seat in front of her and flips through a series of movies, finally choosing "10 Things I Hate About You." She grins and enjoys covering Billie's eyes at "inappropriate" parts of the movie because it makes her feel like a proper parent, like one of those parents in the other American films she watches. She shifts her eyes from the screen when she feels Eve's palm against her thigh and doesn't complain when Eve gestures for her to pull the blanket beneath Billie's butt and across her own lap.

"Are you trying to get handsy with me?," Villanelle mumbles into Eve's ear in a low, smooth voice.

"No," Eve replies, laughing. "I just thought you were cold."

"Now I'm feeling quite hot." Villanelle pretends to fan her face with her hand and smiles when Billie laughs at her enthusiastic movements.

"Do you want me to take her so you can nap?"

"No, it's okay. We're about twenty minutes from landing anyway. I saved you a water from when the beverage cart went by. And some pretzels."

"Thanks, baby." 

Eve drinks some water and chomps down on her pretzels and takes an earbud from Villanelle so they can watch the rest of the movie together. 

"You've never serenaded me from football bleachers before," Eve teases, sliding her left arm beneath Billie and resting it against Villanelle's right thigh.

Villanelle looks down and groans. "You're going to make me come in this seat."

Eve blushes and looks down. "Ohmygod, I'm so sorry, I was just resting my arm. Do you want me to move it?"

"No, it's fine. Just don't start raking your fingers against my thigh or I really will throw our child behind us for annoying man to hold and take you right here and now."

Eve bites down on her bottom lip and widens her eyes, now picturing the moment and not paying any attention to Heath Ledger being pulled away by the school security guards as Julia Stiles looks on.

"You're picturing it, aren't you?," Villanelle asks smugly. 

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"I can almost see your panties getting wet," Villanelle whispers and Eve almost spills her water over her lap, choking in her haste to put down her bottle and screw the cap back on.

The air hostess walks by their seat and asks them if everything is okay, noticing Eve's red face and the drops of water against her shirt.

"Are you okay, honey?," Villanelle asks Eve innocently. 

"Oh, just perfect," Eve says, giving the hostess a tight-lipped smile and kicking Villanelle. Villanelle beams and kisses Billie on the cheek as Eve secures her seatbelt under the watchful eye of the hostess and Villanelle does the same. 

"What happened? I miss your arm where it was," Villanelle murmurs, enjoying the neutral expression on Eve's face as she tries to concentrate on the monitor.

"Okay, look. If you don't stop teasing me, you're going to watch me touch myself in the hotel room after Billie has fallen asleep and listen to me come over and over again."

"WOW," Villanelle exclaims, widening her eyes and puffing out a large breath of air. 

Eve smirks and turns her head to whisper into Villanelle's ear before kissing her on the temple: "Sorry, baby."

"Love the way you shiver  
Dig into my shoulder blades  
Feel it when you quiver  
Higher level, elevate  
You could be the renegade  
Bonnie to a Clyde  
Harrelson and Juliet  
Legends never die  
The TV hasn't worked in ages  
Probably got a shorted cable  
Way too busy fucking on the sofa or the kitchen table..."

Bryce Vine, Drew Barrymore


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve and Villanelle continue on their journey from Philadelphia to Chicago.

As soon as the plane lands, Villanelle grabs Billie's bag and Eve's hand and pulls both to the door after having spoken to the air hostess about needing to catch another flight with a limited amount of time to get to the next gate. Upon entering the airport, Villanelle manages to flag down a golf cart driven by an airport employee who congratulates Eve on her "very difficult childbirth experience" before shooting her stomach a look and then glancing at Billie drooling against Villanelle's chest.

"Um, thanks?," Eve replies, getting into the cart next to the driver as Villanelle and Billie get into the second row next to Billie's bag. Eve looks back at Villanelle who has a smile from cheek-to-cheek. Eve rolls her eyes at her and Villanelle taps her wrist and says the word "Time!" Ten minutes later, they are at the gate with thirty-five minutes to kill before the flight to Chicago takes off.

"What do you want to eat, baby?," Villanelle asks as she tips the driver and helps Eve into yet another uncomfortable plastic seat.

"I could go for some vegan pizza but I don't think there would be anything around this terminal."

"Oh, just wait and see."

Villanelle removes Billie and hands her to Eve before detaching the carrier and watching Eve put it on.

"Take our baby and I'm going to find some food. Should we feed her when I come back or feed her now?"

"She isn't crying just yet but we should try and feed her before getting on the plane again?"

"Okay." Villanelle kisses Eve on the forehead and grabs her wallet from Billie's bag along with her cellphone. 

Seventeen minutes later, Villanelle returns with a bag labeled CURRITO BURRITO on the side. She hands Eve a shake and pulls out a bowl for her. "Do you want me to take baby?"

"No, it's okay. Why don't you eat first and then you can take her?"

"Okay. I got two harvest farro bowls and two healthnut shakes. No vegan pizza though."

"That's okay. This shake is really good. What's in it?"

"Almond milk, strawberry, banana, agave, cashew butter, almonds, and cacao nibs."

"You remembered all of those ingredients?"

"Yes?"

"I love how smart you are," Eve grins. "Isn't she so smart, Billie?"

Billie gurgles and sends Villanelle a toothy smile, flapping her arms by her sides. A few seconds later, she starts crying, squeezing her eyes closed and leaving her mouth hanging open.

"I'm going to change her. I think she just went number two."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, finish eating. I'll. Be. Back."

"Not bad," Villanelle grins at Eve's Schwarznegger impression.

"This mama's still got it," Eve replies, turning and heading towards the closest restroom.

Villanelle finishes her meal and checks her phone, sending a quick text message to Omma that they're waiting to board their plane for O'Hare.

"Here, let me take her," she says when Eve returns with a much happier looking Billie whose face is still flushed from her recent wailing session.

"Are you feeling better now that your bum is clean?," Villanelle asks, scrunching her eyebrows and wrinkling her nose as she takes Billie and inhales her scent. "Mmm, you smell fresh. Thank Omma for changing your very stinky nappy. Do you have a bottle? Should I feed her?"

"I just fed her after I changed her. Killing two birds with one stone, you know?"

"You really are super-omma, aren't you?," Villanelle proudly states, securing Billie to her chest and bending down for a kiss in between Eve's bites of food.

"Let's get ready to board?," Villanelle asks Eve as the announcement to do so comes on above their heads.

Eve nods and puts the lid on her unfinished bowl, placing it in Billie's bag. She grabs her shake and Villanelle's and follows Villanelle and Billie into the line. 

"Did you text Omma?"

"Yeah, while you were in the bathroom."

"Did she reply?"

"Not yet."

"Should we call her quickly, while we're waiting?"

"Sure."

Eve facetimes her mother who smiles when she sees her, Villanelle, and Billie show up on the screen.

"How was the flight from Connecticut?," she asks, waving at Billie and blowing her a kiss which Villanelle "catches" and sends back.

"Uneventful. Eve was feeling a bit hot on the plane though. She might need to remove a layer of clothing or two," Villanelle jokes.

"Are you feeling sick?," Eve's mother asks her, a look of concern passing over her face.

"NO," Eve vehemently replies, ribbing Villanelle with her elbow.

"I miss you already. I was just enjoying the painting that Oksana hung up and having some tea."

"Passports and boarding passes, ma'am."

"Sorry Omma, we have to go. Talk later. Love you!," Eve exclaims, shutting off her phone and handing the exasperated airline employee the required documentation.

"Go ahead," the woman says, handing the documentation back to Eve who promptly tucks everything away in the fanny pack which she just pulled out of Billie's bag.

"This is a lifesaver," Eve says, catching Villanelle's smirk. "What? It is!"

"I like it on you. I didn't say anything."

"Your smirk says it all."

"What did my smirk tell you then?"

"That you think it's super geeky."

"I love geeks."

"Sure."

"I'm a geek."

Eve scoffs.

"You don't believe me?? How do you not know this about me?"

"You are my adorable geek but you would not be caught dead in one of these things. You'd rather hold onto all of these important documents, your lattes, your iPad, your phone, and our child, than risk being seen with a fanny pack."

"You're right. But that doesn't mean I don't love it when you wear yours. Especially since it draws my attention to a certain area of your body."

"Oh my god," Eve laughs, feeling her face flush yet again. "Are you serious?? My fanny pack turns you on??"

The girl in front of Eve turns around and shoots her a dirty look before turning back around and whispering into the ear of the guy next to her. He promptly does the same thing before Villanelle sticks her tongue out at him and slides her arm around Eve's waist.

"Yes, it does. My very hot wife turns me on with her very hot fanny pack," Villanelle proclaims, inviting more stares from the other passengers in front of them in line. 

Eve beams, not even bothering to shy away from the unwanted attention. "Lean down so I can kiss you, very hot wife."

Villanelle wiggles her eyebrows at the nosy passengers and embraces Eve for a deep kiss, Billie hanging out calmly between them before she pulls on Eve's hair and sticks it in her mouth, making Eve squeal.

"Hey! Not so hard," Villanelle pouts, removing Eve's curls from Billie's mouth and looking at her wife apologetically.

"She's fine. She just got excited."

"Like mother, like daughter," Villanelle slyly responds.

"Very cute. Hold your horses for another two and half hours."

"I can hold my horses. Can you?"

Villanelle lets Eve go first as they enter the plane and the hostess directs them to their seats. Thankfully, nobody is sitting in the window seat just like their previous flight so Eve sits in the middle while Villanelle sits on the end.

"I can take her, baby. Why don't you take a nap?," Eve asks as Villanelle removes Billie from the carrier and hands her to Eve so she can put away the carrier, buckle her seatbelt, and take her back.

"Okay. I'll give her to you after the plane has taken off. Are you tired yet, stinky?"

"Did she poop again??"

"No, I'm just teasing her. Here, take your pacifier."

Villanelle places the pacifier in Billie's mouth and Eve removes her miniature headphones from her bag so Villanelle can place them on her head. 

Seven minutes after a successful and stable take-off, Villanelle hands Billie to Eve who locks her arms around her lap protectively and puts on the monitor to find a children's cartoon to keep her entertained.

"I'm going to sleep now," Villanelle says, putting on an adorable pink sleep mask and then her noise-cancelling headphones. "Just elbow me if you or Billie need anything."

"Sleep well, baby," Eve says and removes a blanket from its plastic wrap to place across Villanelle's lap.

Minutes later, Villanelle is fast asleep. Her mouth is hanging open slightly and she is lightly snoring. Eve grins and pushes her chair back so she and Billie can watch an episode of Arthur in comfort. One hour later, after the beverage/snack cart has come around once already, Eve is feeling hungry. She grabs her unfinished bowl from Billie's bag and is about to dig in when she feels Villanelle's eyes on her, a look of longing on her face.

"Did you sleep well?," Eve asks, raising her eyebrows.

"Uh huh."

"Are you hungry?"

"Extremely," Villanelle pouts.

"Take this," Eve puts the lid back on the bowl and thrusts it into Villanelle's hands.

"No, it's okay, you were just going to eat it," Villanelle exclaims, trying to push it back.

"I need to use the bathroom anyway. I finished my shake ten minutes ago and my bladder feels like it is about to burst."

Villanelle sets the bowl down next to her so she can take Billie from Eve. Eve unbuckles her seatbelt before stepping over Villanelle and walking towards the bathroom. Ten minutes later, Eve is back in her seat and scrubbing her hands and arms down with an antibacterial wipe, mumbling about airplane bathroom germs as Villanelle looks on in amusement.

"Did your hair touch the walls?," she asks Eve who stops rubbing the wipe down her arm and raises her head, narrowing her eyes at her wife.

"It probably did. I feel like a walking trashbin."

"On the walking bin topic, Bear told me you were diving into the dumpster at work to find that bakery box I sent to you."

Eve scoffs but softens her expression when she notices the wistfulness behind Villanelle's eyes.

"I did because I wanted to track you down. No shame in my game." Eve throws up her arms to emphasize her point and yelps quietly when Villanelle surprises her with a kiss.

"What was that for?"

"For being cute."

"Mmm. Thank you. Did she finally fall asleep?"

"Yes." 

"Should we pull out her SkyBaby mattress?"

"Sure."

Eve unclips Billie's travel mattress from her bag and places it on Villanelle's lap so Villanelle can lie Billie down inside of it.

"She looks like an angel," Eve proudly coos, putting her hand on Billie's stomach.

"She is," Villanelle agrees. "Maybe we should take her to the doctor and find out why she isn't a bad child."

Eve laughs. "You're worried because she doesn't cry all the time?"

"Yes. I think I cried all the time. Or at least that's what I was told."

"I think she's a balanced baby because of how we're raising her."

"Good. Balanced Billie."

"Yes, balanced Billie. Do you want me to put a movie on? We have about twenty five more minutes before we land."

"How about a TV show? I don't want to get invested in a movie and then have to get off the plane."

Eve grins at Villanelle's very serious point and flips through the list of recommended shows to watch. She settles on "Killing Eve."

"This looks like a good one, V. It explores the relationship between an assassin and the agent investigating her?"

"Sounds meta," Villanelle smirks, sliding her hand into Eve's lap.

"Exactly," Eve grins and hits play, moving her own hand down so she can hold Villanelle's.

After the assassin has completed her first kill, Villanelle glances at Eve and scoffs. "I could have done a much better job," she remarks, pausing to see what Eve's reaction will be.

"Oh, I know you could've. And who is this agent tracking her down??"

"You would do a much better job than she would."

"Oh yeah?," Eve asks, feeling Villanelle's hand make its way up to the waistband of her pants. 

Eve breath hitches as Villanelle tries to unbutton them.

"No, baby. Not right now. I know you want to and I do, too, but hold on," Eve pulls Villanelle's hand away as the knot of frustration in her belly tightens. "We'll be landing soon and Billie will be asleep and we can do whatever we want, okay? Just be patient."

Villanelle groans and throws her head back against the seat, closing her eyes forcefully to avoid glancing at Eve and enjoying how tight her shirt is across her well-endowed chest.

One hour later, in the Family Suite room at Hilton O'Hare.

Billie is asleep in the crib provided by the hotel. Eve is lying down in bed, having showered shortly after they checked in. Villanelle picked up thai food from one of the airport restaurants and bought it back to the room before stepping into the shower. When she walks out, a towel hanging around her, she grins at Eve's receptive gaze.

"Do you like what you see?," she asks, combing her hair and tying it up in a bun on top of her head before removing the towel to dry her legs at the edge of the bed.

"Very, very much," Eve replies, crawling down the bed so she can meet Villanelle and give her a kiss.

"Let me dry you off?," Eve offers and takes the towel.

"It's not going to work," Villanelle says, taking the towel back from Eve and pushing her back on the bed.

"Why not?." Eve replies breathlessly, her eyes moving from Villanelle's eyes and to her lips.

"I'm wet for you," Villanelle whispers, settling down on Eve's thigh and slowly thrusting her hips rhythmically as she covers her body in kisses, from her navel, to her collarbone, to her neck. 

Grunting, Eve pushes her hips up to meet Villanelle who grinds down in response, slipping her hand between Eve's legs and brushing over her clit with her thumb.

"Fuck...," Eve groans, pushing her head down into the pillow as Villanelle starts to move faster and her kisses become more frantic.

When Villanelle moves her mouth from Eve's and down to her breasts where she starts to suck and nibble on her nipples, Eve knows she's close. She pushes against Villanelle, pleading for some more friction and Villanelle responds by moving down her body and pressing her mouth above Eve's throbbing clit, sucking slowly before slipping into a gentle kiss.

Eve's hips move off the bed, almost violently, and she bites down on her hand to suppress the moan falling out of her mouth. Villanelle quickly moves her head and crawls back up the bed, leaving soft kisses against Eve's mouth to help bring her down from her orgasm. 

A few seconds later, as Villanelle lies panting besides her, Eve turns to face her, pulling her towards her before sliding two fingers between Villanelle's legs, knowing how close she is as well.

"Let me get you off," Eve says, looking Villanelle straight in the eye. Villanelle can't even speak as Eve starts to pick up the speed on her motions and leans forward for a kiss. When Eve's palm hits Villanelle's clit, Villanelle exhales sharply and clenches her jaw to prevent from crying out and waking up Billie.

Her entire body quivers and she closes her eyes after watching Eve remove her hand and sultrily lick her fingers. 

"Are you okay?," Eve asks, lying on her back again.

Villanelle nods, No.

"No?," Eve responses, feeling a little worried with the unexpected negative response.

"No as in fuck, that was good. So no, I am not okay. And I want to do it again but I'm so tired."

"Take a nap, baby. I'm going to feed Billie when she wakes up. Don't you want to eat anything? Why don't you eat something with me, come on."

"I just ate," Villanelle replies cheekily, sitting up in bed and biting down on Eve's shoulder before Eve gets off the bed and brings back two cartons of spicy curry noodles and silverware for them. The television plays quietly in the background and the two enjoy a few bites of their food in sated silence.

"I was craving thai food so badly before we left Connecticut. This hits the spot. Thank you for picking that up for us."

"It hit the spot?," Villanelle jokes, her cheeks filled with food as she chews quickly and unabashedly.

"Oh, 100%," Eve replies, understanding her wife's innuendo and rewarding her wit with a quick peck on her lips despite the amount of food she's still working hard on swallowing.

"You love the way I look when I eat."

"I do. Because you're so genuine in those moments and unguarded."

"I'm also unguarded during sex," Villanelle offers, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Mmmhm," Eve replies, trying to ignore the excited energy rolling off of Villanelle like waves.

"Don't you want a reminder?," Villanelle asks, setting down her carton and spreading her legs so Eve can sit between them and continue eating.

Eve groans when Villanelle kisses her neck. "I thought someone said she was tired?"

"Now that I've eaten dessert and then dinner, I am feeling ravenous again for some more dessert."

Eve chuckles and swallows down a mouthful of noodles.

"Send nudes," Villanelle says, her hands resting below Eve's navel, making Eve grin over her wife's love for cheesy movies and internet memes.

"Nudes or noods?"

"Both."

"Open your mouth."

Eve turns and lets a noodle dangle out of her mouth. Without flinching, Villanelle leans forward and grabs the noodle between her lips. She sucks it into her mouth until her lips are touching Eve's and uses the opportunity to palm Eve's breasts, enjoying the low moan that escapes Eve's mouth when they pull away.

"M'lady," Villanelle grins.

"Tramp," Eve replies, thinking of the Disney movie she and Villanelle recently played for Billie before reenacting the same scene in front of her.

Eve turns around and leans against Villanelle feeling comforted and comfortable. A few minutes later, Billie wakes up crying so Eve gets off the bed and hands the carton of noodles to Villanelle to finish.

"Are you hungry or do you need to be changed or both?"

Villanelle watches Eve walk over to the crib and pick Billie up, waiting to see if she will latch. Once she does, Eve sits in the large desk chair and coos softly to Billie, moving the hair away from her sweaty face with one hand.

"She really is hungry," Eve announces, glancing up at Villanelle who is staring at her wolfishly.

"What?"

"I was thinking about how I was just doing the same thing."

Eve's face turns red despite the obvious remark.

"What? I was!! We can't help it if both of us love your tits."

"That's...I guess you're right."

"I'm just stating facts."

"Yes, you are, honey."

"Do you want me to change her now? I can smell her tush from over here."

"Yes, please. I'm going to wash up and then throw some pjs on so our daughter doesn't grow up thinking we're part of a nudist colony."

Twenty minutes later, Eve is in bed and talking animatedly to her mother on the phone. Villanelle is crawling around on the floor with Billie while the coffee machine is sputtering in the corner and making one cup of decaf coffee.

Billie is in her Yale onesie and navy blue shorts.Villanelle grabs her and places her on her back on the bed, growling into her belly and making her squeal.

"Should we check out the pool, Omma?," Villanelle asks Eve.

"You sure you don't want to take a nap?"

"No. I'm really not tired anymore. If I fall asleep now, I won't wake up. We can go down to the pool for an hour, maybe drop by the hotel restaurant if we're hungry again, and call it an early night?"

"Okay. Wait, we don't have any bathing suits with us?"

"We can buy them from somewhere. I think I spotted bikinis in the window of the hotel gift shop. Let's go and check."

"I don't need to swim, babe. Why don't you swim and you can take Billie into the kiddie area, too. I'm going to sit on the side and relax and read a book."

"Let's go downstairs and see how we feel. Neither of us need to go into the water. We can sit by the pool with Billie."

Twenty minutes later, the trio move downstairs to the expansive hotel pool that is surprisingly empty except for three older males sitting in the jacuzzi.

Eve is wearing Billie in her chest carrier and has her cellphone and book with her. Villanelle is looking longingly at the water and Eve laughs, telling her to buy a swimsuit and get changed so she can come back and swim. Fifteen minutes later, Villanelle walks into the room wearing a simple black bikini. Eve widens her eyes as Villanelle walks over to her and Billie, bending down to kiss Eve on the lips.

"You sure you don't want to swim?," Villanelle asks as she stands back up, leaving Eve flustered and flushed.

"No, I'm going to enjoy watching you, though."

"I guess I'll have to put on a show then," Villanelle replies before walking over to the deep end and easily diving in, She makes quick work of the length of the pool, giving Eve the vibes of an Olympic swimmer. Deep in her memory, Eve recalls Villanelle telling her about Dasha forcing her to swim in frigid temperatures to build up her stamina for training purposes. Although Eve would classify the training more like torture, she cannot deny that Dasha's disciplinary methods and Villanelle's dedication to excellence paid off.

Eve picks up her book and tries to read but keeps getting distracted by Villanelle's fluid, synchronized movements and the way the water drips off of her body when she gets out of the pool to walk back around towards her and Billie. Eve can't help but feel proud when she notices the other people in the room staring at Villanelle who is staring at her with an almost predatory smile on her face.

"Can you hand me that towel, please?," Villanelle asks, grinning at the expression on Eve's face as she towels herself off. and throws the towel down on the seat next to Eve so she can lie down.

"Are you okay, Eve?"

"I'm fine," Eve chokes out, brushing Billie's hair with her hand and kissing her crown. 

"How is the reading coming along?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure you don't want to go swimming? I saw a swimsuit in the store that would look very good on your body."

"Hmm, I'm okay. Just enjoying the show."

Eve glances at Villanelle and can feel her energy even before she moves towards her. She gets off the seat and slots one of her long legs in between Eve's thighs and leans over Billie to give Eve a kiss. When Eve opens her eyes, Villanelle's breasts are literally over Billie's head. Eve swallows and restrains herself from reaching out to cup them.

"Now you know how I feel whenever you feed our kid," Villanelle grins. 

Eve swats at her and laughs, "You asshole. You're trying to rile me up, aren't you?"

"Is it working? Do you think you can fit in one more round before we go to sleep?"

"Oh, I definitely can. Unless you're tired..."

"Me, tired? Who said I was tired?," Villanelle scoffs, removing herself from Eve's seat and picking Billie up, smothering her cheeks in kisses. "Come on, little mama. Why don't we take a walk around the far edge of the pool? Your omma and I are going to enroll you in swimming lessons sometime soon. Just not right now. I want to walk around with you so she can admire the view."

"Go ahead, baby. Let me watch you."

Villanelle's entire face changes and she more than rises up to the challenge, carrying Billie on her shoulder and pointing to various things she thinks Billie is looking at around the room. Eve's heart expands at the sight of the tough-as-nails former assassin being so gentle and loving with their child and she starts taking photos on her phone to capture the moment, kicking herself internally for not bringing down the camera Villanelle bought for her.

A family of four enters and the mother, a middle-aged woman with brown hair and an exhausted smile, asks Eve if it's okay if she take the seat to Villanelle's empty one as she watches her husband and their two children enter the side of the pool closest to their corner.

"Of course, that's fine."

Villanelle looks over at Eve and takes Billie hand in hers so they both can wave.

"Are those yours?," the woman asks, smiling at the gesture.

Eve nods and smiles. "Yep. My two babies."

"Those are my three babies over there," the woman adds, sending her enthusiastic husband a similar smile as he treads water next to his rambunctious and rowdy children.

"How old are they?," Eve asks, grinning at the playfulness between the girl and the boy as they splash water on each other.

"Seven and nine. Yours?"

"Four months."

"I loved that age. They're so cuddly, aren't they?"

"Yes. I just want to smush her all the time. Is that weird?"

"Not at all. Your girlfriend looks very much involved."

"Wife actually."

"Oh! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed."

"It's fine. And yes, she is. She's very hands-on."

"How did you two meet?"

"Work."

"Very nice. Derek and I were introduced through a mutual friend five years ago and we've been together ever since. He always said he didn't want to have children yet here we are, two kids later, and he's the most involved dad I've ever met."

"Love makes us do incredible things," Eve casually remarks, her eyes shifting from the man and his two children to Villanelle and Billie who are heading towards her again.

"Hi, I'm Eve's partner," Villanelle says, sticking out her hand.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Meredith. My husband Derek and our kids George and Izzy are behind you somewhere in the pool."

Villanelle glances behind her and smiles. When she turns back towards Eve, she asks if Eve is ready to head upstairs. Eve nods and stands up, grabbing Billie's carrier and her book in one hand and Villanelle's damp towel in the other.

"Very nice to meet you. I hope you have a fun rest of your night," Eve says, the back of her neck prickling as she notices Meredith eyeing Villanelle's toned body.

"You too," Meredith says and Eve walks towards the exit, unceremoniously throwing Villanelle's towel into the laundry hamper.

Villanelle strides next to her, a small smile forming on her lips. 

"What?," Eve asks, pushing the Up arrow button for the lift.

"Nothing."

"No, you want to say something. Tell me."

"You're jealous."

"Of who, Meredith?! She was openly ogling you like you were standing there naked."

Villanelle grins and plants a kiss on Billie's cheek, mumbling into her ear: "Your omma is very cute when she's jealous. Are you going to sleep when we go back to our room so I can have sex with her again?"

Eve blushes and shoots Villanelle a shy smile, her flash of anger deteriorating as quickly as it came.

"Come here," Eve says and Villanelle sidles up next to her as the doors to the lift open and the group heads inside.

"Yes?," Villanelle asks, looking down at Eve with the same predatory grin from earlier.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yes."

Eve kisses Villanelle, careful not to squish Billie, and steps away from her, making sure to pinch her ass when she does so. Villanelle's eyes grow wide and she yelps. "Tease!!"

"I haven't even started, Oksana" Eve says, drawing out the last a and laughing maniacally as the doors of the lift open to their floor and she saunters ahead, shooting Villanelle a suggestive smile over her shoulder.


	13. Not an update, but a holiday message

Just wanted to send some love out to those who have lost someone this year. Those who cannot spend this day with loved ones. Those who this holiday is a trigger for. Those who don’t have the means to buy into the commercialism of the day like so many others seem to be doing. Those who are dealing with depression. Anxiety. Loneliness. Fear. Hunger. Poverty. Instability in other forms. Those who are unable to be their authentic selves around family members or friends. Those who have tried to be their authentic selves and have gotten rejected or disowned. Those who have a loved one who is incarcerated. Those who are estranged from family members. Those who have lost children. Those who cannot have children. Etc etc etc. 

Whatever you are experiencing, you are not alone. I know it sounds cliché but I am thinking of you. You can message me on Twitter (@compassionchasr) if you want to share how you are doing. This year has been challenging. We all need to talk, sometimes. Or exchange playlists. Lucky for you, I can do both. I can also send you poetry recommendations since poetry was my first love. 

Life is challenging but life is beautiful. Watch a whale watching video on YouTube if you don’t believe me. Or a video of elephants coddling a baby in the herd. Or a video of the solar system. Life is beautiful but it can be bruising. If your heart has ached or is currently aching or has been broken or is currently broken - that’s a reminder that you’re alive. We’re meant to fall in love and experience all of the nuances that come with it, even if those can be painful and force us to grow or be honest with ourselves. Platonic love, romantic love, self-love. Love makes life even more exciting than it already is. So if you haven’t told someone you love them or if you have and they haven’t said it back or if you don’t think you can ever love again because your heart has been bruised or broken too many times, I’m proud of you. You’re bold and courageous and willing to feel, deeply. I hope that never changes. Don’t ever stop falling in love with life or with those you meet along the way. Don’t be afraid to tell people you love them. There is absolutely nothing embarrassing about falling in love even though society will sometimes tell you to not disclose it because fear of rejection! Life is too short to not enjoy. Yes, even the shitty parts. Those will remind you to revel in the not-shitty parts. You deserve that. Finally, love yourself. We are all awkward, afraid, doing our damndest to wake up every day and simply get by in a capitalistic society that is exhausting, frustrating, merciless. We all make mistakes. Spread kindness. What you say to yourself and to others? Those words matter. They mean things. They have an impact. Love yourself, especially the messy parts. Those make you unique. Nobody is perfect and nobody is out there getting it all together and if they seem like they are, appearances can be deceiving. You’re incredible. You’re alive. I’m fucking grateful for you. 

As for this fic, I will update soon. Thanks to those who have read, left kudos, or commented. I appreciate the love. Merry Christmas to those celebrating and to those who do not - cheers to another Friday! Stay safe and mask up and socially distance. 

Thinking of you,

xo


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